Phantom Melodies
by LizzeXX
Summary: Gold/OC - Henry has been taken to Neverland, leading his family to rescue him. But it's not just Emma and Regina, but Gold's true love, the Pied Piper, and his son close behind. Yet just as the heroes are reunited, another curse strikes and a Wicked Witch takes advantage of them, tearing them apart once more. Will Piper and Gold find each other again? Third in the Bedtime Stories.
1. The Heart of the Truest Believer

A/N: Hey there! Welcome to the third story, Phantom Melodies, of my Once Upon a Time Series Bedtime Stories :) I would recommend new readers read the first two stories (All That Glitters and Every Rose Has Its Thorns) to understand my OC, Piper (AKA Rose Red) and her relationship to Gold/Rumpelstiltskin as well as her tie to Snow White. This will be a Gold/OC story, the pairing name officially Dark Rose, and will be about 40 chapters long, updated daily too ;) This story will follow the episodes more in terms of what's happening with the OC, but will also have an Enchanted Forest flashback/backstory chapter afterwards and some of the 'Missing Year' chapters too :)

A short physical description of Piper is that she's a tall, blonde woman, with forest green eyes. She tends to wear boots that she keeps her playing pipe in one, and the dagger of the Dark One in the other. She likes to wear colors, though Gold (or as she calls him, Rummy) prefers her in black ;) She also has a necklace of a small purple powder from the Enchanted Forest. She appears to be about 40 years old, though she is much older. For a reference, an actress I see as being similar to her is Sophia Myles ;)

~8~ is a scene break.  
~location~ is a scene break between different worlds (just to help keep up with where the characters are)

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time...or we would have had an entire season of 1 enemy each to add more drama :)

~8~

The Heart of the Truest Believer

Mr. Gold held tight to the ropes of the Jolly Rodger, Regina, Emma, David, and Mary Margaret around him as they sailed through a portal, Hook at the helm, floating into the waters of Neverland, nothing but dark waters and an island in the distance.

"Is that it?!" Emma called over the sound of the winds howling around them.

"Aye," Hook let out a breath, "Neverland," he set the helm and began to move around the ship, slowing it down.

"Why are you slowing down?" Regina spun to face him, "In case you didn't know, my son's life is in danger!"

Gold shot Regina a glare for that outcry. He knew that Regina couldn't care less about whether Piper or Baelfire were found, Mary Margaret would and she seemed anxious and torn between her grandson and her cousin, but he could see the determination in her eyes that he was sure mirrored his own, to save all of them. He was well aware of the fact that nearly everyone there felt that his boy was dead, but he was going to hold onto hope, for once in his life a villain was going to have hope. He knew he would see his boy again one day, knew he would find true love, the Seer had prophesized it, but this…this was a hope that he had to hold onto, to go on blindly. He had to hope that Piper would be able to keep his boy alive till they found him, but he also knew that Piper would want him there, on the island, to find Henry first. So would Bae. If he went after his boy and left Henry to the mercy of Peter Pan…his son would never ever forgive him for that.

As much as he hated the thought of Piper and Bae being lost in the Enchanted Forest, of his son being injured as well, he knew that they would be alright for now, they could both handle themselves and he had to help find Henry first. Save his grandson, then save his son and find his true love at the same time. As much as he felt worried for them, as much as he didn't like this…he could feel a small warmth inside of him, because he knew they would both be proud of him for doing this, for putting Henry first.

"Oh, I know, my hot-headed Queen," Hook remarked, pulling Gold's attention back, "The plan is to bring us to the far side of the island, link up with the widest part of the river, and…then we sail right through, take him by surprise. The irony..."

"What irony?" Regina huffed.

"Oh, I spent more time than I care to remember trying to leave this place to kill Rumpelstiltskin. And here I am, sailing right back into its heart with him as my guest of honor. It's not quite the happy ending I was hoping for."

"Greg Mendell said something funny to me," Regina mused as she stepped closer to Hook, only Gold able to really hear them as Mary Margaret, David, and Emma gathered at the other end of the boat, "He said I'm a villain, and that villains don't get happy endings. You believe that?"

"I hope not, or we've wasted our lives," Hook sighed.

"It is true," Gold turned to them, "A truer thing has never been spoken dearie, but eh," he considered the words mockingly, "Not in the way you think. Villains are never given the happy endings they desire, that's the difference between us and them," he gestured at Mary Margaret and the others, "Happy endings come to them, WE have to fight for ours."

"Yes," Hook scoffed, "You fought so hard for yours both your true love and son ran away from you through a portal to escape you."

Gold just chuckled at that, irritating Hook with how he failed to rise to the bait and turned to look out at the island once more. He glanced over though when he started to hear Emma shouting at her beloved parents. He would have chuckled again at the topic. It seemed the little princess had a bite to her, not that he didn't already know that but the words she was dishing out were intended to harm her precious parents. She was blaming them for this happening, because good should always win and she knew from experience in the real world that it didn't always. She was angry that they were trying to parent her, to claim they had more experience, when she was the same age as them. She was even bitter that they missed out on raising her for 18 years before she became an adult…when she seemed to conveniently forget that she missed out on raising her own son for the first 10 years of his life.

He could see where the similarity to Piper ended, while the woman was just as biting and just as cruel, while she could hold a grudge with the best of them. She did at least make an attempt to place blame where it was due. And she did understand that her own actions had consequences, she accepted them when they came. But when those consequences fell on her when they were the actions of another, that was when she targeted her anger at someone else. Emma was trying to pin this all on her parents, when she was the one that gave Henry up, when Regina was the one that cast the curse that left her without parents, when their experiences were based in the Enchanted Forest and in magic which she did NOT have and which they were facing now.

"…your lives have...they've...well, they've sucked!" Emma was shouting, not seeming to understand how her parents could hold such optimism.

He was curious about that as well, that seemed to be something Piper couldn't quite work out either.

"No," David was arguing, "No, we found you."

"And lost Henry! And Neal, and countless other people!"

"Emma," Mary Margaret took a breath, "The minute I let go of the belief that things will get better is the minute that I know they won't. We'll find him."

"No, you won't," Gold turned to face them, snapping his fingers and changing his outfit to his old Rumpelstiltskin garb.

"Oh, that's a great use of our time," Hook rolled his eyes, "A wardrobe change!"

"_I'm_ gonna get Henry," Gold told them.

Regina's eyes narrowed, "We agreed to do this _together_."

"Actually, we made no such agreement."

Emma frowned in suspicions, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I wanna succeed," he said simply, the sooner he found Henry, the sooner he could focus on finding his son and finding Piper. Though, Piper would have been an asset to find Henry, with her magic and music to track him, they would probably find him within the day.

"What makes you think I'm gonna fail?" Emma straightened to her full height.

"Well, how could you not?" he smirked, "You don't believe in your parents, or in magic, or even yourself."

"I slayed a dragon!" Emma defended, "I think I believe."

Gold shook his head, "Only what was _shown_ to you. When have you ever taken a real leap of faith? Think how long it took you to believe Pinocchio, to believe Piper? Think of what lengths your own son had to go to make you believe," he nearly smirked at seeing her looking away at that reminder, "You never have. You've never had a true belief, the kind where there's absolutely no proof to be found. I've know you some time, Miss Swan. And, sadly, despite everything you've been through, you're still just that...bail bonds-person, looking for evidence. Well, dearie, that's not gonna work in Neverland."

"I'll do whatever it takes," Emma stated, firm.

Gold chuckled, "Well, you just need someone to tell you what that is. Sorry, dearie, our foe is too fearsome for hand-holding. Neverland is a place where imagination runs wild. And, sadly, yours doesn't."

He tossed his cane up and by the time it fell to the deck, he'd disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

~The Enchanted Forest~

Piper was standing beside Neal as he laid on a small cushioned platform in the middle of a courtyard. She vaguely recognized it when she, Emma, and Mary Margaret had passed it after Mulan and Aurora had tied them up when they fell through the portal the first time. His shirt was slightly open, a small patch of white bandage visible just at the edge of it. She reached out and gently pressed on it, pleased when no blood started to seep through it. It…hadn't been pleasant, to undo the damage that Tamara had done with her gun, she'd had to use the Dark One's dagger to cut the bullet out of him, and then stitch the wound closed. She was rather thankful that he'd been asleep when Mulan had heated up her sword to cauterize it more and Aurora cleaned it out afterwards, Phillip, the man that Aurora was to wed, who she recalled had been lost to a wraith when they'd entered the Enchanted Forest, had given them bandages. Apparently Cora had told Aurora that the soul of a wraith victim could still be returned to its body so long as the body was preserved and it appeared Phillip still had that time left. The two women had succeeded in returning his soul to him and there he was.

That was good to know, if she and Gold summoned a wraith again they would have to find a way to ensure Regina's (or whomever they had the wraith target) soul was destroyed afterwards.

She glanced over when she heard footsteps approach to see Mulan making her way towards her, "Has he woken?" the warrior woman asked.

"He appears about to," Piper mused as Neal's face began to tense and twitch, his breathing pattern shifting as he slowly started to wake, "Baelfire," she smiled down at him, "How are you?"

"It's Neal," he grumbled.

"Is he well?" another voice called as Aurora and Phillip came running over towards them, having come to check on the man as well and seen he was awake.

"Well enough to be questioned," Mulan stated, straightening.

"I have answered all your questions Mulan," Piper remarked with a dry roll of her eyes.

Aurora turned to a small table set up and poured a glass of water for Neal as he started to cough, "Here," she hurried to his side, offering him the goblet, "Drink. Drink. You must be thirsty."

Neal swallowed a mouthful, nodding thankfully towards her before looking to Piper, "Where are we?"

"The Enchanted Forest," Piper spoke, "Aurora and Phillip's kingdom."

Neal let out a breath at that and looked around, "I'm back," he whispered, and Piper couldn't tell if he was awed by that or unhappy.

"Back?" Aurora eyed him, "You mean you're from here?"

"He's lying," Mulan nodded at him, "Look at his clothes. He's from the same world Emma, Snow, and Piper are from."

"Emma?" Neal jerked up at that, "Emma Swan? You know her?"

Mulan frowned at that, "How do you know her?" they had only asked Piper how they had gotten there but nothing much after that, and just because he appeared with Piper didn't mean he knew Emma.

"She's…" he strained, trying to sit up more, but groaned in pain, "She's my…" he winced and fell back down on the cushioned bed, "I…I don't know…"

"Mother of your child?" Piper offered, "First love?"

"Whatever she is, she's in danger," Neal groaned, trying to get up again, "I have to get back to her. I have to help her!"

"You need to rest," Phillip tried to argue but Piper just reached out her good hand and helped Neal sit up, "You were gravely injured when we found you. Piper said you were hit by some kind of 45 caliber arrow?"

"Look," Neal shook his head, "We…we need your help. I need to know that Emma and Henry are alright."

"Mother of your child…" Aurora repeated quietly, before her eyes widened, "You're Henry's father?!" Neal nodded, getting off the cushions, "I was once under a sleeping curse," her eyes flickered to Piper who looked away, but the motion didn't go unnoticed by Neal as he frowned when Aurora turned back to him, "Snow taught me how to control the nightmare. And with practice, I'm able to walk the dream world, find others like me who have passed through. It's possible I can make contact with them. If I can, what would you like me to tell them?"

Neal took a breath, "Tell Emma I'm alive, and I love her."

Aurora nodded and moved to get back on the cushions, Phillip helping her, as Piper turned to Neal, "Come," she nodded to the side, "You must eat."

He frowned a moment but followed her, "What was that flinch before?" he asked her.

"I did not flinch."

"You looked away," he countered, "Look, I've spent a lot of time around my dad and Emma, I get when someone's trying to hide something and…"

"I fell under the sleeping curse once before," she muttered, "All those who do, their souls return to a room that is aflame when they sleep. For most it fades after time, the mind builds defenses against it," she sighed, "My mind built a defense that contained it. My mind goes there each time I sleep. And it is painful to be there. The flames…they can actually burn you."

Neal blinked at that, not quite having realized that, "I'm sorry," he understood her looking away now, Aurora offering to do that was one thing, she had a choice it appeared in when she wanted to go to the room or not. Piper was dragged there each time, "You uh…I haven't seen any burns on you though."

"The room has been unable to harm me on only one occasion," she remarked.

"Yeah? And when's that?"

"When I sleep in Rummy's arms," she answered bluntly, "He keeps the nightmares away."

Neal eyed her for that remark, that…well, he had heard of his father bringing people nightmares, being the cause of them, the source of them, the terror in them…

He hadn't quite heard of his father keeping the nightmares back.

Piper seemed to understand his incredulous look, "He is not always the monster people think he is."

He scoffed at that, he found that hard to believe.

~8~

Piper was sitting on a small chair, her arms crossed over her stomach, her feet up on a small table before her as Neal and Mulan stood to the side. They were watching Aurora sleep on the cushioned platform, Phillip keeping vigil around her, his eyes on her, never straying as he guarded her in her sleep. Piper, however, had her eyes closed, just relaxing for a moment, thinking.

"Feeling better?" Mulan asked, looking at both Piper and Neal.

When they had found them on the beach, Neal had been half dead, bleeding out while Piper had been exhausted, having somehow managed to drag Neal to the beach from where they'd fallen in the shallows of the ocean. Aurora had helped her walk on while she and Phillip had taken Neal. They were both still in the clothes they'd found them in, as odd as they were, but she had seen Piper in something like that when she had last been in the Enchanted Forest.

"Yeah," Neal nodded.

"Getting there," Piper murmured, not asleep but resting her eyes, knowing she wasn't looking forward to the dreams of the burning room and trying to avoid it.

"Did you really fall through a portal?" Mulan looked at Neal. Piper had said so, but she hadn't exactly said how, from what she knew of other world that Piper and the others had come from, it didn't appear that they had portals there.

"Yeah," Neal rubbed his nose, "I thought…I thought I was gonna die, and…and I thought about this place. I thought about growing up here."

"And therein lies the power of portals," Piper mused, "Tricky devils, can be very…hard to navigate without an enchanted compass. To ensure you go where you wish, it is best to have one, but sometimes you can get there by envisioning a place clearly."

She knew that was why they hadn't used their minds to get to Storybrooke last time. The curse had been too recently broken on Mary Margaret, she had memories of both places and the most clear was of the Enchanted Forest, her home. Emma hadn't lived in Storybrooke long enough to consider it home, nor had she. To her home was a person not a place and so she couldn't envision Storybrooke as clearly as would be needed to get back, none of them would.

"What's it like, the other world?" Mulan tilted her head at Neal.

"Uh, well, for starters, they think that this place is just a fairytale," he offered, "Like a like a legend, like we're all just characters in a story."

"I'm in a story?" Mulan blinked.

"Yeah," he eyed her a moment, "They made a movie about you. It's actually pretty good."

"What's a movie?"

Neal was cut off from answering when Aurora gasped and woke, sitting up with Phillip helping her off and to her feet, "It's worse than I feared," Aurora breathed, regret etched on her face, "I couldn't make contact. I wish I could be more help. I…I fear no one can."

"My father can," Neal sighed, rubbing his face.

"Yes," Piper smiled, not seeming truly disturbed, "Rummy always had a plan on top of a plan."

Neal had to nod at that, "He would've left something behind, if he ever found himself back here. Something that can be used to contact Emma, to get to her. I know it."

"He did," Piper agreed, opening her eyes, "Numerous things actually. But they are all in his castle."

"So that's where we need to go," Neal decided.

"Who's your father?" Phillip frowned a moment.

Neal hesitated to answer, knowing that it wasn't the most pleasant answer to hear, "Rumpelstiltskin."

"The Dark One?!" Phillip gaped at him.

"Yeah," he nodded, expecting that reaction, "You've uh, you've got his son," he gestured at himself, "And um," he glanced at Piper, jerking a thumb back at her, "His true love apparently."

"The Dark One has a true love?" Phillip stared at Piper in shock, she seemed…well, a little odd, but nice enough.

"And the Pied Piper had a son," she rolled her eyes, "Shall we repeat what we hear again?"

"Still don't know how anyone in any realm could give you a child," Neal muttered.

Piper shot him a glare, "I gave the children of Hamelin back you know," she reminded him, "Not all stories in the other world are exactly as they say. Honestly," she stood, "All I did was have the people massacre their mayor and tear him apart limb from limb with his head left on a pike as a warning."

"I can understand the true love now," Phillip murmured, eyeing her warily.

Piper shook her head, "Shall we head to the castle or are we dallying?"

"No, no, we're going," Neal agreed.

"Wonderful," Piper smirked, starting to unstrap her sling.

"Um…should you be removing that?" Aurora frowned.

"Your arm was injured," Mulan agreed, having seen the wound that was still healing on her shoulder.

"I am not much a fan Dr. Frankenstein," Piper stated dryly, taking the sling off and slowly moving her arm, "If we are heading to the castle, it will be best if I have both arms to use."

And if she injured herself more…well, then that would be on her.

~Neverland~

Gold walked through the thick foliage of Neverland, hearing a gasping from ahead of him, smelling the remnants of a fire. He could feel magic before him, something had happened a short distance ahead, so he followed it, stopping only when he came across the dead body of Greg Mendell, lying face down on the dirt, his face blank and pale. He looked at the man's body, noticing that he had no shadow and knew what had happened. Peter Pan had stolen the man's shadow, stolen his soul from him, and killed him. But that didn't hold his attention much longer, not when he saw Tamara crawling across the ground, an arrow in her back, sweating and pained.

He stepped right over to her, getting in her way so she'd stop and look up at him, "So where is he?" he demanded.

"H-Henry…" she whimpered, trying to speak.

"Now, now. I can help you speak," he waved his hand, removing the arrow from her back only so that she would be able to speak without the wound restraining her.

"Thank you," Tamara began to cry, feeling the wound heal as well.

"Where's Henry?" he repeated, but Tamara looked down, "They killed him?" his hands clenched into fists.

"I don't think so," she shook her head, looking up at him again, "I told him to run, and he did."

He eyed the woman, seeing the fear in her eyes, knowing that she had likely realized who she and Greg had been working for, who their target was, Henry. Given how Greg had died, he could assume she had been betrayed by her 'employers' and was now paying the price, but the price was also his grandson, Piper's family, HIS family, "Where?"

"The jungle," Tamara looked around, "Pan wants him. He's behind all this," she swallowed hard, "Look, Mr. Gold, I didn't know who I was working for. I'm sorry about Neal. I'm so sorry."

"I know," he crouched down before her, his arms crossed over his knees, "You were merely a pawn."

"Can…can you forgive me?" Tamara whimpered.

Gold looked at her a long while, studying her, studying this woman that had shot his son and opened a portal that stole both him and his love from him...before he smirked, "No," before he shoved his hand into her chest and pulled her red, glowing heart out of her, standing as he crushed it in his hand, turning it to dust as she fell to the ground, dead.

He stepped over her body and continued on his way, determined to find Henry if it was the last thing he did. He WOULD make his boy proud of him.

~Enchanted Forest~

Mulan looked ahead of her as she followed Neal and Piper through the fields and forests, trekking for the Dark One's castle. She had offered to go with them, to accompany them through the now-dangerous land, even more dangerous than the last time Neal had been there. Truly, it was in part to get away from Aurora and Phillip, but also to see Piper and Neal safe and returned to Emma and their families.

"Can I ask you a question?" she began.

"Yeah, I don't know how to explain what a movie is," Neal cut her off.

"You say that you're fighting for Emma," Mulan started carefully, "But she never mentioned you when she was here. Why is that?"

Neal sighed, "Because I broke her heart. I let her go so that she could break the curse and fulfill her destiny. And when it was broken, I could've gone after her. I could've told her I loved her," he shook his head, "But I was afraid she would never forgive me, so I wound up taking the easy way out, which is not trying."

"Your belief in love wasn't strong enough to overcome your fear of rejection," Mulan realized.

"Yeah," he nodded, "Greatest regret of my life, not one I wish upon anyone."

"Never let your love go when you have it," Piper mused, still walking ahead of them. Her arm was still a little stiff, but she was slowly working it out, wincing here and there but determined to be of use during this trip, she smiled though when they reached the top of a hill, spotting the Dark Castle ahead of them, "Finally," she breathes, and just…stands there, contrary to her words that were clearly eager to get there.

Neal eyed her a moment, not quite sure why she was just smiling at the building that was more like a prison for most who lived there. He knew that she was his father's true love, but it was just…hard to imagine anyone being genuinely happy with the man, despite the fact he had seen clear evidence that she WAS actually quite happy with his father.

"We should make haste," Mulan said, "The sun will be setting soon."

"Right," Neal sighed and they started down the hill, making their way into the rather unkempt gates, to the door.

Piper was the first to enter, placing a gentle hand on the front door for a moment before she pulled them open and allowed them in.

Mulan frowned as she looked around, all of them pausing in the doorway of the main chamber, "It appears abandoned."

"No," Piper frowned, "There are…quite a few people here," her gaze flickered to the window, leaning down to pull her pipe from her boot, "You may wish to cover your ears."

Neal immediately put his hands to his ear, almost surprised to see Mulan do the same but he could only assume something like this had happened the last time that Piper had been in the Enchanted Forest. Piper lifted the pipe to her lips and let out a piercing note…that had a man falling in through the window a moment later, falling to the floor and struggling to cover his ears but the noise was too loud, too violent, too agonizing.

She let the note linger a moment, before she dropped it, striding forward to lightly kick the man onto his back, his forest green cape fanning around him as she put her foot on his chest, "Hello Robin."

The man on his back panted and looked up at her, revealing his appearance, his hood having fallen back. A man with blonde hair and stubble, blue eyes, lean and shorter than she remembered.

"How's the new face?" she smirked at him.

Robin glared at her and tried to shove her back, Piper releasing her foot and stepping back, making it clear that SHE was the one to allow him up.

"Robin?" Neal frowned, seeing a bow and arrow dropped on the ground where the man had fallen, "Robin Hood?"

"At your service," the man muttered, "I'd bow but this quiver's rather tight."

Mulan, however, looked at Piper, "New…face?"

Piper laughed, "He did so wish to escape Rummy's wrath," she eyed the man, "Did you not?"

Robin glared at her, wanting so badly to pull an arrow on her but refrained, not willing to suffer another bout of torture like that, "I made a deal with the Dark One for the safety of my family, so he would stop hunting us," his eyes narrowed more, "You failed to mention that, while my face would change, my song would not."

Piper shrugged, "You failed to ask," she said simply.

That had been…a rather enjoyable moment. She and Rumpelstiltskin, hunting Robin Hood and his wife through the woods, till the poor pregnant woman could go no longer and collapsed. Robin had been reduced to begging on his knees for the Dark One to spare him, and he had been spared. Unfortunately they were both aware that his ploy to beg for forgiveness was just to give the woman time to run away. Rumpelstiltskin hadn't been pleased with that and had managed to trick the outlaw into a deal, to 'protect him' from both the law and himself. The man would run away, and when he was far enough from sight, his appearance would change. The law wouldn't recognize him, but neither would Rumpelstiltskin.

"How did your wife like a stranger claiming to be her husband?" she wondered.

Robin's jaw tensed so much that a vein started to appear in his cheek at that, the answer all too clear, that he had had a devil of a time convincing her that he was the same man that she had seen only moments ago. Even after that, even after he had changed his face to what it was now…the Dark One still knew where he was at all times, because the Pied Piper knew his song, she could track him, could call him to her, to do the Dark One's bidding. Because now he knew he had a child and a wife to use as leverage.

"Actually," she held up a hand, "A better question…" her expression hardened, "What are you doing trespassing in my castle?"

"Your castle?" the man scoffed, "This is the Dark One's castle."

"And I am mistress of it," Piper spoke, making the man stiffen at that, "Which means…the wards react to me and my desires," just as she spoke, the doors behind them slammed closed, "Your men are now trapped in the rooms," she added, "So you had best be honest with me if you wish them to ever be released."

Robin let out a long breath, the fear of his men keeping him from attacking her, "The castle has been abandoned since the Queen's curse. We took up here for refuge from the Ogres. If the Dark One ever shows up, I'll be happy to vacate," he added in more of a mock.

"No, no need," Neal shook his head, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the woman beside him had been officially made mistress of the castle, "Just…we just need to look around for a bit."

"And who would you be to travel with such loathsome company?" Robin glanced at Neal before glaring at Piper.

"Loathsome company?" she snorted at that, seeming more amused by that than offended, "One of the weaker things I have been called."

"You tricked me and gave cause for me and my wife to be hunted!" Robin shouted at her, pointing accusingly at her.

"Yes," she said slowly, as though speaking to an idiot, "And you fell for it. The noble thief, always seeing a damsel in distress where there is not one."

"In this land," Neal continued, answering Robin's question and cutting off a growing argument, he could tell that Robin would like nothing more than to kill Piper where she stood and…right now…he probably needed her help to get back, "I'm known as Baelfire. I'm his son."

"My apologies," Robin remarked, knowing on one in their right mind would ever wish such a fate nor would they claim it if it wasn't so.

"Yeah, mine too," Neal muttered.

Piper shook her head at them, "If we gather what we came here for, we can be off sooner," she reminded the men.

Neal nodded and looked at Robin, "We're looking for something he left here. A magical item. You see anything like that?"

"I'm very sorry to disappoint," Robin shook his head, "But I arrived shortly after the curse. The place was cleaned out. Nothing of any value remains."

"Nothing of value to them, perhaps," Piper stepped past them, walking further into the room, towards the back wall, "Rummy would, of course, ensure that the only things taken were the things visible."

She headed for an old cabinet, reaching out a hand to the air and smiling, before she lifted her pipe to her mouth. She paused, hearing a sharp rustling sound behind her and turned to see all three had ducked down, their hands pressed to their ears. She rolled her eyes, "I wish to cause no harm and so I shall not," she told them, exasperated, "Not all magic harms."

She waited till they let go of their ears and slowly stood, but could tell they were tensed and ready to cover their ears if the need came of it. She shook her head and turned back, playing a soft melody on the pipe, smirking when she glanced at them out of the corner of her eye to see that the three were just standing there watching her in stunned silence, not many of them having heard her play as light a tune as that, though Neal had a small frown of thought on his face. She knew the tune was familiar to him, it was a lullaby that Rumpelstiltskin had taught her, one that he often hummed to his son, the only song he trusted to guard his secrets, the only song he trusted her to use to break the enchantments that kept them hidden.

Before her eyes the air shimmered and items appeared in the cabinet, glowing and magical just by sight. She glanced over as Neal move to stand beside her, Robin and Mulan walking over only a few feet behind.

"And there we have it," Piper mused, eyeing the items, "Everything we could need to find someone in this realm."

"But what will help us faster?" Neal stepped forward to start examining the items.

Piper stepped beside him and reached out to pick up a crystal ball, "This," she held it up to him, "It can show you what someone is doing…but only in this realm," she warned, "This will show us if she or the others came after us, if we should look for them here or if we should try for a portal to Storybrooke as planned. I very much doubt Rummy would leave either of us here and not find a way back. And, if Tamara and Greg have the beans as we feared…"

Neal sighed and nodded, taking the crystal ball from her, "I spent my entire life running from magic. Now it's the only thing that can help me," he cupped it in his hands and started to concentrate as he stared into it, "It's not working," he muttered after a long moment, "Why isn't it working?" he looked at Piper.

"You should have paid more attention to your father, Bae," she remarked, taking the ball from him, "You were so focused on not having anything to do with magic, in pushing him away, you failed to realize he was trying to share part of himself with you," she held the ball up, eye level to them, "Magic is based in emotion, you must focus on how you feel about someone."

She hadn't even finished speaking when the image in the ball swirled revealing Gold on his knees in the middle of a forest, holding a small straw doll, weeping. Neal snatched it from her hand and focused as she'd told him, the image flickering to Emma…in the same forest.

"No," he breathed, "It can't be."

"What's wrong?" Mulan frowned, "Isn't she there?"

"Yes, but that's not Storybrooke," he shook his head, looking at Piper to see even she seemed alarmed by that, "Emma's in Neverland."

"And so is Rummy," she pursed her lips at that…

Neverland was the LAST place she knew he ever wanted to be.

A/N: I was tempted to put in what was going on with Emma, Mary Margaret, Hook, and David after Gold left, but I really wanted to focus this more on Piper and Neal with a hint of Gold there ;) We'll find out what happened to them all at the start of the 3rd chapter though, I won't forget them ;)

I hope you liked my little reason for the Robin we see here and in the rest of Season 3 being a different actor than when he appeared in Lacey, Gold got his revenge there lol ;)

Also, wanted to officially announce that I'll be adding an AU of 'What if Piper found Emma and adopted her with August' to my list of AUs that I'll be writing in the future. I probably won't be writing/posting it till after OUAT is officially over, but it'll be coming one day ;)

Some notes on reviews...(from the end of ERHIT)...

Phillip's soul was taken from him :( So, in a way, he 'died' but Aurora and Mulan were able to get it back and bring him back too :)

The Piper/Neal relationship will be a little rocky, but Neal will have A LOT to learn about the woman that stole his father's heart that might surprise him both about her and his father ;)


	2. Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

Rumpelstiltskin stood in the doorway of his bedroom, well, he supposed it was their room now, his and Piper's, watching as the woman slept on in the rising sun. The light filtered in through the windows, illuminating her pale skin to a warm golden color. He tilted his head as he observed her, how calm she was even without him beside her, holding her in his arms. It seemed as though the burning room she dreamed about, the one she'd been tormented by ever since she'd fallen under the sleeping curse, only appeared when her body was truly and deeply asleep, near the middle of the night. When the sun was rising and it was as though her body was aware that the day would be starting soon, as it began its slow waking up, the threat of the burning room faded and she was able to sleep without him beside her.

He was rather disheartened at that knowledge but also thankful. He knew she went to that room each and every night, no matter how much time passed he was sure that it would never change, she would forever be cursed to stay in that room when she slept. He was thankful that she was able to have some peace as she woke, that the room wasn't a threat to her then, he had never really considered the effects of a sleeping curse like that, not until it had been someone he cared about that was suffering it. He wouldn't wish that torment on her, not after the hell her life had been since Regina came to power. But at the same time he was a little...sad, that she wouldn't need his comfort in those moments. He knew that his presence, his magic, seeped into her when she slept, when she went to the deepest parts of her sleep, and allowed him to soothe her and protect her from that room. She had woken with burns once and from that moment he swore no more. He protected her, kept the room from harming her, from burning her, as it once had. It was still a nightmare to be there, he knew, she didn't like going to sleep at night because of it. Even if it didn't burn her, she still felt the heat, she was still surrounded by flames, truly the worst nightmare of any water-based species, such as Sirens.

He loved the fact that he could offer her that comfort, that their love was so powerful that, even after the curse had been broken it still fought against the harms that the room could cause. Her being in his arms...he had grown far too used to it far too quickly but yet he couldn't bring himself to care much about that. He...loved her, truly and deeply, more than he thought he could love another other than his son, but she had proven him wrong. He couldn't help but think about the Seer he'd met when she had been a child and a woman, it was clear to him now that she had been speaking of two different women when she mentioned his wife and his truest love, but he'd been a fool then, insisting they were one in the same. He grew older, her grew wiser, he grew darker...and when it came time to crush Milah's heart he felt no sorrow at all, merely glee that he'd gotten his revenge and that he'd' caused the same pain to that pirate as he had caused HIM. He should have felt sorrow and pain when his wife crumpled to her doom before his eyes, but he felt nothing.

It was different with Piper. He felt everything for her and the way he felt...it startled him at times. It was especially startling when he thought back to just how deeply he felt for her so soon after just meeting her. He'd been intrigued, yes. But...he felt drawn to her as well, he was interested and captivated in a way he'd never been before. She reminded him, sometimes, of Cora, the darkness in her, but she had something else, she had lived the life Cora had wanted, she had been a princess and she had suffered the life Cora had, a begging peasant...but worse. Cora had never been beaten or nearly taken by other men against her will, she had never experienced half of what Piper had and...perhaps it was the idea of how hard Piper's heart was that did it for him but...she did such exquisite and powerful things with her magic, she could cut someone down, she could cause such agony...with her heart still in her chest. Not even Cora had been able to do that, to do what she had to to get what she wanted without taking her heart out.

Cora was weak.

Piper...was something else entirely and he did not want this crime against her, this torment she would have to endure for the rest of her life, to go unpunished. He let out a breath at that, that was just the same thinking he'd had a few times before. When she'd been stabbed, when she'd revealed her scars to him and told him their story, all the people who had ever harmed her, he'd sworn to himself, he would see punished, he would see her avenged. This was going to be no different.

He stepped into the room, to the side of the bed and knelt down. He gently touched her hair, brushing some of it off her sleeping face before he dropped a soft kiss to her forehead and stood, heading out of the room, knowing that she would recall, when she woke, that he'd mentioned he had a deal to see about that morning and to go about her daily routine as normal.

He just...hadn't mentioned that the deal in question was not one that he would be making, but one that another had made that he wanted to know more about.

He had to see an old scaly friend about a sleeping curse.

~8~

"I love what you've done with the place dearie," Rumpelstiltskin called as he sat on the throne of a castle rather tackily decorated in purple accents, looking at a woman with blonde hair as she entered the room, HER throne room, to see him sitting casually on HER throne.

"Rumpelstiltskin," she grinned maliciously, more a cross between fear she was trying to mask with irritation she was trying to control so as not to say something that would, undoubtedly, have him calling himself an enemy. She was powerful, yes, she was the resident sorceress of her area of the kingdom, she was best friends with the Evil Queen and, while she was not one to be trifled with...this was the Dark One. This was the man who was the embodiment of pure Dark Magic and she was most unwilling to truly upset him. Banter, sure, use each other, of course, but to genuinely anger him would mean her demise, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The man just bobbed his leg, casually thrown over his knee as he sat back in the throne, a glass of her wine in his hand, swirling around as he looked at her. She could tell he was likely in a foul mood despite the wide grin on his face. He was wearing black. Most would assume that the Dark One would wear dark clothing, naturally, but she knew him better. He preferred dull colors but colors none the less, anything to make him seem more grand to others. For Rumpelstiltskin to be wearing pitch black clothing, and leather clothing as well, it was not a good sign. Black meant that he was out for blood, black meant that he was prepared to sneak up to get what he wanted, black meant he was raging and what he wanted he would get and he would get it when he asked for it.

She barely manged to restrain a shiver from racing through her as she stared him down, standing before her own throne as though he were the rightful ruler of that castle. But she dared not demand her seat back. Perhaps at another time she would have been irritated, would have been cross and brash with him, demanded her seat if he wanted her help in anything. But that would only be if he were in a good mood and he was most certainly not. Whatever it was that had crossed him, he was going to see it through in the darkest way possible, and for him to come to HER? Well...she was truly frightened of what that could mean, if it was something she had done that had upset him so. She tried to keep her back straight, keep her chin up, keep her eyes firm, much like she knew Regina did when she was frightened, something they shared, but looking into his eyes she couldn't help but take a more wary stance. His eyes were odd to most people, appearing bigger than normal, less...expressive in a way, it was haunting and alarming to most, but she could read them, she could see it in his eyes the...murderous intent there.

He truly was out for blood and she was hoping that it wouldn't be her own that he sought.

"Maleficent," he began, grinning wider when he saw the briefest flicker of fright in her eyes at how he was addressing her by name. He knew that he rather tended to call anyone, be it male or female, 'dearie' but when he used their full name, it was either a serious or deadly matter, and right now it was both, "I had a run in with a particularly familiar sleeping curse."

Maleficent tried to frown, "I...I haven't cast a sleeping curse on anyone," she defended.

"No, I suppose not you," he sighed, "But someone you gave it to."

"It was an even trade," she began to speak quickly, "Regina and I exchanged..."

"No, no, no, no, no," he rolled his eyes, cutting in, waving his hand and making a pink lump appear in the air before the woman, who began to clutch at her throat as she realized her tongue had been fully removed, "It was not Regina, not this time, and not to me," he added, "This woman...she possessed no magic when she cursed my new caretaker with the sleeping curse," he eyed Maleficent, "And she was pricked," he added, "Regina favors her apples too much, but you..." he pushed himself up from his seat and slowly made his way to Maleficent, enjoying how she began to tense up and watch him approach with wide eyes, fear evident in them, "Your particular brand of sleeping curse is through a prick. Now," he waved his hand and returned her tongue, the woman stumbling back, her hand to her mouth as she felt it returned...only to stiffen moments later when she felt the tip of a dagger, not the Dark One's dagger, no he wouldn't bring that one anywhere near where she could get it, but a dagger nonetheless, pressed to the underside of her chin, lifting her head up, "Tell me, dearie," he began to step closer to her as she stepped back, trying to avoid the dagger but he kept it firm where it was, "Who did you last give a sleeping curse to?"

"I...I...I gave it to two women," she gasped.

"That doesn't help me dearie."

She winced as she hit the corner of a table in her trek backwards, "Perhaps if...if you told me what the one you're after looked like, I could..."

"Brown hair, blue eyes, royal," he added to the end, he couldn't prove that last one, but anyone able to get a sleeping curse from Maleficent would have to have the money or resources to spend, "Now..." he grinned as the woman was backed up into a wall, "Who is she?"

"Sleeping Beauty," Maleficent breathed, "She came to me requesting a Sleeping Curse. To...to avenge her brother. She said he had been killed."

He frowned at that, "I'm surprised you gave it to her dearie, last I could recall, you and the lovely young girl didn't see eye to eye."

Maleficent swallowed hard, "She offered an open ended price for it."

He nodded, open-ended prices were the best, they were the ones when the other person was so desperate that they would offer 'anything, anything at all' to get what they wanted. They hardly ever stopped to consider that such a price could be their entire kingdom, their lives, their families or more but they were willing to do it. That would be the only reason that Maleficent would agree to help the woman who not only defeated her but banished her.

"And did you give her a price?" he inquired carefully, knowing that this cold be just what he needed...if she gave him the right answer.

If she gave him the wrong answer well...what was one less villain and rival in the world?

"No," Maleficent stated, firm, knowing that if he thought even for a moment that she was lying he would kill her where she stood, "I told her I would come to collect and to be ready to give what I demand."

He nodded, "Well done, dearie," he began, making her smile only slightly before he stepped closer to her, lifting her chin almost impossibly high as the dagger came to point straight up, "_I_ will be giving you the price to demand," he told her, "Is that understood?"

Maleficent nearly tried to nod before realizing it would mean she'd half-impale herself on the dagger if she did, "Yes," she whimpered, already feeling it cut into the underside of her chin just by speaking.

"Good," he stepped back, but let the dagger fall only to her heart.

"What price shall it be?" Maleficent inquired.

He grinned darkly, "The greatest treasure she has," he giggled, "Her precious little daughter, Aurora. I want you to demand her daughter be given the Sleeping Curse as well."

Maleficent frowned, not disagreeing to do it, knowing that he could still kill her where she stood instantly, but unable to think of why he would demand something like that when a Queen offered anything at all for payment, "Might I ask why?"

He gave her a mocking shrug and stepped back, "She inflicted the curse on something of mine, it is only fair that it be inflicted on something of hers as well, don't you think?" he giggled again.

"All this over a caretaker?"

Maleficent gasped as the dagger embedded itself in the wall just beside her head, a few locks of her curly blonde hair falling to the ground from where he'd thrown the dagger at her. When her eyes flickered back to him, he was right in front of her, so close she was almost cross-eyed to see him, "I do not appreciate anyone tampering with something that belongs to me."

He hated to say that, to say something instead of someone. But he knew his rather violent reaction would give Maleficent reason to pause and question why it was so violent. If she suspected, even for a moment, that Piper meant more to him than just as his caretaker...it would give her leverage against him and he was not about to let Piper become bait to a trap for him. He was not even concerned that it would be a trap, he would go to it willingly if it meant protecting her, but he didn't want her to be in that position at all, he wanted her safe and by his side always. And if that meant calling her a 'thing' so that Maleficent saw her as merely a possession, then that was what he would do.

He couldn't let the woman know the true depth of his feelings for Piper, not if it meant keeping her safe.

"I expect the payment to be made by sundown," he told her, stepping back and disappearing in a swirl of smoke, appearing back in his castle. He was in the kitchens now, in the doorway, watching as Piper stood at a small counter, chopping away at some sort of herbs for this dinner, a nice little soup. He had told her that he wasn't sure when he would be back, it was already dark as he'd spent the morning gathering evidence of who he thought the woman that attacked her had been before confronting Maleficent at sundown. Whenever he wasn't sure if he would return, he'd told her a soup would be fine. There was no need to make more unless she wanted to eat something more for dinner but that he was fine with soup. And there she was, making it for them to sup.

He wondered briefly if he was making a mistake, not just in demanding the price Maleficent would give to Aurora and Sleeping Beauty, but also if he was overstepping his place in Piper's life, doing all this. This wasn't the first time he'd taken revenge for her, she had appreciated it the other times, but he was never sure what she would think. This last injustice was a little...more personal. The scars he could heal, the people who harmed her he could kill so they wouldn't do it again. But this...the trauma of the sleeping curse, that burning room, it would always be with her, she wouldn't be able to escape it for the rest of her life. That made it that much more personal to her, he was sure, and he wondered if he had done right in stepping in.

He wondered as well if the price he'd demanded was a good one. It was tricky, open-ended deals, where you could take literally anything from the other person and they had to give it up. Would it have been better to take Aurora, make her a servant? Would it have been better to curse the girl to hate her mother? To take her heart and crush it in front of her mother? Was this the right punishment?

He looked up when he heard a gasp to see Piper drop the rather sharp knife she was using to cut the herbs and place her finger in her mouth. He stepped up to her, knowing she knew he was there, and took her hand, looking at her finger from where she'd nicked it. It was so small and meaningless...but the fact that she'd been hurt and HOW she'd been hurt, WHY she'd been hurt were more impactful. There were candles set up in the room, but none of them were close enough to give any sort of decent light to what she was doing. And he knew why, the burning room was still frightening her, even now. He knew she had a fear of fire, candles were fine, torches too some doing, a fireplace and cooking had been much for her to overcome. But even now, the unease around fire was back, evidenced by the candles being as far away from her as she could get them without ending up in the complete blackness of the room.

He lifted her finger to his lips and pressed a kiss on the small cut, healing it, his resolve strengthening as he looked at the nearest candle flame.

Aurora suffering the burning room as Piper was?

Yes, it had been the right punishment.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin stood in the main hall of his castle, looking out the window, watching as Piper returned from her latest trip into the village for straw, just...thinking. The moment that Maleficent had confirmed that the woman was Sleeping Beauty who had taken the curse from her, it made sense to him why she had targeted Piper. When she had been in Hamelin, the mayor of the rather wealth town had been the brother of Sleeping Beauty herself. The woman was the eldest daughter of the king, but he had gone on to have children after that, three boys. The mayor of Hamelin, much like many second and third-born sons, went off to a position of power in a neighboring kingdom or in different districts of their own. The mayor of Hamelin had been the woman's brother and, when Piper had been there, well...the rather portly man had been torn to shreds and left with his head rotting on a pike. Rumor had spread that the Piper had made the townspeople do it and clearly the woman was enraged enough to wish to seek revenge for her brother. It appeared the pretty princess felt herself more entitled and powerful than her brothers and family saw themselves.

He had kept tabs on the mayor's family after he heard about Hamelin, because he knew that the mayor was the third son of the king. He was intrigued to see what the royal family would do, especially when word got out that the Piper was working for him. Before she had come to him, no one really knew where she was or where she would go, appearing at towns where the whispers were that she was needed. But now...now she was a permanent place in his castle and others knew it. He'd watched the king for retaliation, but the man and his sons had kept back, none of them willing to risk the ire of the Dark One. It appeared dear Sleeping Beauty however was of a different sort, cut of a different cloth. She was so cross and saw herself so powerful that she actually thought she could just attack Piper and that he wouldn't discover who it was?

Hardly.

If that woman was going to place his true love under a sleeping curse, then he would place her daughter under one as well. Perhaps he would even devise a way to keep the prince that was rumored to be courting dear Aurora away from her. That would prove interesting, the princess without a true love to wake her. He would rather love to see that reaction, he would rather love to see Sleeping Beauty breaking down when she realized her daughter had fallen under the same curse she had, the same curse she had inflicted on someone else. That was what they called just desserts he thought.

He looked to the side when the doors opened and Piper was standing there, her shadow cloak on, giving him a look that was a cross between suspicion, being touched, and being a little...cross actually. Well that last emotion he hadn't been hoping for.

"Safe trip dearie?" he asked her, grinning widely.

She stepped into the room, keeping her gaze locked on his as she approached, not even looking away as she placed the straw down beside her, "I heard a rather interesting bit of news in the village," she began.

"Oh?" he reached out to take her cloak off, draping it over his arm, "And what was that?"

"The Princess Aurora, daughter of the famed Sleeping Beauty, has succumbed to the sleeping curse as well," she told him.

"Tragedy," he tried to seem serious but was far too gleeful to manage it, "Truly, quite one, isn't it?"

"The villagers were going on about how it was ironic that she should fall under the same curse as her mother," she added, "How they supposed history could repeat itself, especially because of how similar both women look to each other. Brown hair," she gave him a meaningful look, "And blue eyes. Much like the woman who attacked me and placed ME under the sleeping curse. Quite ironic indeed."

"It is," he nodded, though his grin hadn't diminished.

Piper eyed him for a long while, "You placed Aurora under the curse."

He opened his mouth in mock-outrage at the accusation, though there wasn't a hint of actual accusation in her voice but more like she was stating a fact, "Not I, Pip," he crossed his heart, "I believe that wold be Maleficent. The sleeping curse is her specialty."

"You cannot expect me to believe that you had no hand in this Rummy," Piper crossed her arms but gave him an amused look, "You disappear to see about a 'deal' yesterday morn, and now, the very next day, the daughter of the woman who cursed me is cursed as well."

"Then you caught me," he held up his hands in playful surrender.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why did you engineer for Aurora to be cursed?"

"Revenge."

"Revenge for what?"

"For you being cursed Pip," he said, as though it were the most obvious thing, "She attacked you, I attack her back."

Piper nodded, "That IS how revenge often works."

He eyed her for a moment, "Are you...upset with me? For avenging you?"

She let out a long breath, "Not quite, I am rather...touched you went to such trouble to do that," she told him, a soft smile on her face and he beamed at that, "However..." his face fell comically, "I should like to ask that you not take revenge on EVERY person who wrongs me."

"But..."

She held up a finger to stop him a moment, "I mean..." she started to grin that dangerous, dark grin that he loved, that made his black heart beat faster and harder in his chest, "That I should like the pleasure of seeking my own revenge at times," she continued, "It is rather fun."

"Ooh yes it is," he nodded, understanding, "I'm sorry Pip," he took her hand, kissing the back of it, "I should have let you take part, no...I should have requested to take part WITH you and..."

"You do not have to apologize," she told him, cutting him off gently, "I am..." she tried to find the words, "My heart races when I think of you enacting vengeance in my name, for slights against me," she admitted, "I am quite sure you could do a world more damage with your magic than I could with my pipe."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that Pip," he tried to reassure her, lifting her hand to his heart, "How about a deal..."

She raised an eyebrow at that, "What sort of deal?"

"If you ever feel the need for revenge," he began, "I should like to be there for some of it."

"And what would you give me for my allowance of your attendance?" she smiled.

"My power," he told her, making her breath escape her, "I gave you my dagger for a reason Pip," he grew serious, "I trust you with it, I trust you with my life and magic, that you will use it wisely. And I don't mean that I should give you my power in that you should use the dagger when you want revenge...but merely...I wish to help," he looked at her, "I wish to be there, beside you, using my power to make your vision of the revenge come true as best I can. Not you controlling my magic, but you directing it."

Piper leaned in and kissed him gently, "Much like you can direct my magic for your clients," she offered, trying to give him a parallel to his example.

"Exactly," he nodded.

"If you wish to be there and to help then you shall be," she nodded, "There is only one act of revenge though, that I should like to see through on my own."

He frowned at that, "And what is it?"

"The Queen," she stated, "One day...I will kill her father," she told him, "As she killed mine. A parent for a parent. I want to see his life end and drain from him, I want her to watch it happen, and _I_ want to be the one to do it."

He looked at her a moment, considering if he should tell her about the Dark Curse, about what he was planning to do with it, what it would require of Regina, the heart of her father, how it would mean that her plans for revenge would be lost before she could even enact it. But then he realized...Piper was unaware that Cora was still alive and he didn't doubt that, one day, mother and daughter would be reunited. He could see it now, in his mind's eye, Cora standing over him with his dagger in hand, no...not his dagger, a false one, and Piper there. He could see something happening, Cora falling to the ground, Regina there, the woman cradling her mother in her arms as she died, completely and utterly broken and devastated, with Piper smirking over her.

He blinked and shook his head, "I can guarantee you Pip," he looked at her, the vision of the future still fresh in his mind, "You shall have your revenge."

He couldn't tell her about the Dark Curse just yet, not right now. She had endured so much and was still recovering from her stabbing and the sleeping curse, she still wasn't used to the burning room and he didn't want to burden her just yet, not now. He would wait, just a short while longer, and then tell her about the curse and what would be needed, why he was intent to see it through and promise her that all would be well.

A parent for a parent, she'd said and he knew...she would get it.

A/N: From what I gathered of the show, Aurora once says to Phillip, when he tells her Maleficent is gone after waking her, that she finds it hard to believe that Maleficent wouldn't be a threat anymore as she first came after Aurora's mother and then herself. I take that to mean (and I think the show implies) that Sleeping Beauty and Aurora are mother and daughter instead of the same people :) And here we have it, the reveal of just who the woman that cursed Piper was ;) Sleeping Beauty seems to have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed lol :)

Also, for anyone who's interested. I'll be posting a new Doctor Who OC series tomorrow, featuring my 5th Time Lady, the Doctor's Wife from Gallifrey :)

Some notes on reviews...

We'll have to wait and see about Rumple's fate ;) As for the vault, oh Piper will not be ok with Neal there, but she might just have a trick up her sleeve and Neal might end up being the one that's not ok with the plan }:)

I did post yesterday :) I also posted the cover and link to the story on my tumblr's queue, it was up at about 10pm for me, but the email notifications didn't go out :( I didn't get one either :(

Piper knows almost every secret of Rummy yup, including Pan ;) Piper's reaction will be a little surprising to Robin but that's all I can say about that just yet ;) As for Wendy, I think she'll like her well enough, for having taken care of Bae but she won't be pleased that she's semi tricking people :( We'll have to wait and see about Piper's magic and the shadow though ;)


	3. Lost Girl

Lost Girl

Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Regina, and Hook trekked their way through the jungles and forests of Neverland, all of them weary and tired yet with adrenaline coursing through them. It hadn't been easy to make it to the island, not at all. They'd gotten caught in a storm just after Gold had left them, the mermaids had been summoned by Pan and attacked the ship. They'd caught one, had tried to get her to call off the attack…but all she'd done was summon a storm. Mary Margaret had tried to get them to let her talk to the mermaid, to try and speak to the fish-woman and get her to understand what was happening. But their emotions had gotten high, Regina wanting to kill her, David threatening her with a knife, Hook focusing on the ship instead of their lives, and Emma trying to get them to stop and Mary Margaret…well she was ashamed to admit she'd fallen into the trap as well and raged at Regina. It wasn't till Regina had turned the mermaid into stone and Emma jumped off the side of the ship in the middle of the storm and nearly drowned to get them to focus on her instead of fighting with each other that they were able to come together and make it to the island.

Mary Margaret had been very solemn when they made it, had seemed disappointed but it wasn't entirely directed at the ones she travelled with, no, it was both at herself as well. She KNEW what mermaids were like, not just from having met a nice one named Ariel, but because of Piper. Her cousin was part Siren, her aunt WAS a Siren, they were similar in species to the mermaids, enough so where, if Piper had been there, she was sure that the mermaids would have backed off. They were similar, but Sirens were infinitely more dangerous and more powerful than a mermaid. Had Piper been there, the mermaids wouldn't have dared attack them, no matter what Pan said, and even without Piper there…SHE should have been able to handle the mermaid, but no one gave her the chance.

Still, there was no point in dwelling on it now, they had made it to the island, now they just had to find Henry.

"The ridge is just a few hundred paces up ahead," Hook called out.

"You really think we're gonna be able to see Pan's hideout?" Emma glanced at him, that had been their plan, to get to higher ground and try and look down at the land below, see if they could spot Pan.

Hook nodded, "From there, we should be able to see everything, including where he's keeping your son."

"You know, I could have just poofed us up here in an instant," Regina remarked dryly.

"Where?" Hook scoffed, "Have you any idea what's up here or anywhere? There are dangers all about. Only I can guide us past them."

"Or Piper," Mary Margaret mused, "If she were here, she'd be able to hear Henry's song, or lure him to us…"

David reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, he knew that this was hard for her, to choose between her grandson and her cousin in who they had to save. But he also knew that…Piper would want them to focus on Henry and, in that instance, he could actually agree with the woman and respect her for that. Mary Margaret had told him about her cousin, Rose Red, how she was part-Siren, what that meant, and while he was a little wary of Sirens, especially after nearly having been drowned by one, he was trying to work past it. He supposed it was similar to how Piper was trying to work past him as well. They both had bad experiences with someone like the other, him with the Siren in Lake Nostos (according to Mary Margaret that was only a Siren of the Lakes and not a Siren of the Seas, like Piper was partially, and that those of the Sea were far more deadly…which didn't help his trust in Piper any) and Piper with his twin brother James and the…rather bad experience that she had had in George's kingdom.

But he knew that Henry meant the world to Piper and she would want them to focus on him, and that was a point to her in his book.

"Well she's not," Emma sighed, even though she too wished that Piper was there. She'd seen the woman's magic in action, it was far more subtle than Regina's was and she'd be able to hear where Henry was without needing anything to help her, she could have led them right to her son, but she wasn't there and they had to make do, "So for now…we have to trust Hook. He's lived here before. If he says hiking up is the best way, then we listen."

"Here," Mary Margaret held out a small skin of water to her, "You need to stay hydrated."

"Thanks, Mary Margaret," Emma took it and took a swig.

"You know, Mary Margaret is a bit formal," Mary Margaret smiled, "You could call me 'mom' if you want. You've done it before."

Emma looked away, "That was back when..."

"...we were about to die," Mary Margaret nodded sadly, realizing it was a heat of the moment thing, "Oh no, I get it," she tried to wave it off.

"No!" Hook suddenly shouted, grabbing David's arm as he tried to hack through some vines and thorns, "No!"

"I can handle a couple of thorns," David rolled his eyes.

"That's dreamshade," Hook pointed out, holding the thorns up to the others as well, knowing they had to be aware of them, "It's not the thorns you have to worry about. It's the poison they inject you with. This plant is the source of the toxins I used on The Dark One."

"The poison that almost killed Gold?" Emma recalled.

"Indeed," Hook grinned a little.

"Don't make me slap you Hook," Mary Margaret gave him a look at that, not very pleased that the man looked so happy about nearly having killed her cousin's true love.

"I used a concentrated dose," Hook continued, "In its natural form, death would be much slower and far more painful," he glanced around, "I suggest we go this way," he nodded to the side.

"We'll go this way," David countered, moving in the opposite direction, leading Mary Margaret and Regina off.

"Your father's a distrustful fellow," Hook remarked to Emma.

"He's just not used to working with the bad guys," Emma countered, "You should see him and Piper bicker."

Hook snorted at that, he could just imagine, that woman gave HIM a run for his money when he was confronted with her, imagining a hero having to talk to her, especially one that wasn't fond of her to begin with, and was likely only putting up with her for his wife's sake, that would be something, "I can assure you, on this island, I am not the bad guy."

"Yeah, well, Pan's not supposed to be one either."

"What possibly gave you that idea?" Hook frowned.

"Every story I ever heard as a child," Emma stated.

"Well, they got it all wrong. Pan is the most treacherous villain I've ever faced. Tell me something, love. In these stories what was I like? Other than a villain. Handsome, I gather."

"If waxed mustaches and perms are your thing," she smirked, thinking of the Disney version of him.

"I take it by your tone, perms are bad?" he inquired.

"Up here!" David's voice shouted, "We made it."

Emma hurried after her family, joining them on ridge as Hook arrived with her, "Pan's lair should be just right..."

"Where?" Regina raised an eyebrow at that, there was nothing but trees there, "All I see is jungle."

"Aye," he sighed, "The Dark Jungle. It's, uh, grown so much since I last stepped foot in Neverland."

"So this nature hike was for nothing," Regina deadpanned.

"Hook may have led us astray," David shot him a disdainful look as the man rolled his eyes, "But at least we're in a good position to start combing the jungle."

"Not exactly," Hook shook his head, "The Dark Jungle's the last place you wanna set foot. We'll have to go around it. In order to do that, we're gonna need our strength. I suggest we make camp."

"You wanna sleep while my son is out there suffering?" Regina glared at him.

"If we want to live long enough to save the boy. Yes."

Mary Margaret sighed and looked over at Emma as she stood on the edge of the ridge, looking in the direction Hook had pointed, "You ok?" she walked over to her.

"Regina's right," Emma murmured, "Henry's out there somewhere."

"And Hook is right," Mary Margaret was loath to say that as well, but it was true, "We have to survive if we're going to get him."

"I know. I just hope we're not too late."

"After everything your father and I have been through," she put a hand on Emma's shoulder, squeezing it, "There's one thing we've learned. It is never too late. I thought my cousin was dead…for years Emma," she added, "And she fought, she's still alive," she tilted her head to look at Emma, to make her look at her, "I see so much of her in you and Henry, I know, deep in my heart, that Henry's fighting just as hard."

Emma smiled a little at that, her boy was stubborn at the very least, got that from both his mothers and both sides of his family, he would fight, he wouldn't give up and he wouldn't give up hope.

~8~

Mr. Gold stood in the middle of the forest of Neverland, conjuring a fireball in his hand and sending it down to a small collection of sticks and wood he'd made to start a campfire. He paused, glancing at his shadow flickering on the stones beside him and turned to eye it. He remembered when he had taken part of the shadows on a castle wall to give Piper her cloak that hid her. He knew she didn't have it with her, but it gave him an idea.

He reached out a fist, freezing the shadow on the rock and stepped closer, kneeling down to where it connected to him, and yanked, pulling his shadow free. He stood, looking at his shadow as it floated before him, waiting for a command, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a half a piece of wood, a playing pipe. The one Regina had broken in Storybrooke wasn't the first one that Piper had ever had snapped on her, but he kept the pieces of every single one he knew of. The pipes…she poured her magic into it, her heart and soul when she played them, they became as much a part of her as his dagger was of him. And he knew she would have his dagger on her, safe and sound.

"Take this," he offered the shadow the pipe, "And find her. Find her and Bae."

The shadow nodded, two spots where the eyes should be, glowing purple before it turned and swooped off into the sky.

Peter Pan wasn't the only one that could summon a shadow.

~8~

It was a solemn mood that had settled over the small band of men and women who had set out to rescue Henry as they gathered around a small camp, trying to work out their next move.

They'd made camp for the night, as Hook had suggested, but Emma had been woken by the sounds of crying children. She'd followed it, thinking someone else's son (or even Henry) was making that sound and wanting to help them…only for Pan, a young boy in brown and black, with brown hair, appeared behind her. She'd pinned him to a tree, her sword at his throat, demanding that he give her Henry. But all he'd done was tell her he was alive and special, that he needed Henry for something but…that he would help her find him. That had surprised her and made her instantly suspicious. He'd given her a map that was meant to lead her to Henry, but only if she stopped denying who she really was, otherwise the map would remain blank.

She'd shown it to her parents, to Regina and Hook as well, for help. There had been…mixed reactions to it. Hook saw it as a puzzle, a game, of Pan's, while Regina felt it might be a trap, that it was just a way to distract them and keep them from actively looking for Henry. Regina had wanted to use magic to crack the lock on the map and make it readable, but the others had agreed to let Emma try it first. She'd tried everything. She'd said her name, how she was Henry's mother, how she used to live in Boston and was a bailbondsperson, how she was the sheriff of Storybrooke now. She'd even gone so far to admit to being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, the product of true love, born in the Enchanted Forest before being sent through a portal in a tree to break the curse, making her the Savior as well. She'd admitted all that she could…but it still hadn't worked.

So Regina had taken the map and used it as a locator spell to lead them to Pan. Unfortunately that meant travelling right through the Dark Jungle that Hook had warned them against. But if it could lead them to Henry, they were willing to do it. They'd hacked through the bushes and vines, following the map as it floated before them, leading them to what looked like an empty camp of Pan's. They'd seen a boy there, in Henry's clothes, his back to them, and run for him…but it was none other than Pan, tricking them. It had been an ambush of sorts, the Lost Boys joining them and a battle had begun, leaving them little choice but to defend themselves. Arrows that were tipped in dreamshade were fired at them, nearly nicking David, and, eventually, Pan had seemed to grow bored and called off the battle, giving Emma a warning for cheating in her attempts to unlock the map that would lead to Henry before he and the boys disappeared, leaving them alone.

"Don't let him shake your confidence," Emma heard as she looked up from where she was leaning against a tree, the blank map in her hand, to see her mother and father standing before her, "We've all had moments where we felt we couldn't prevail."

"She's right," David nodded at Mary Margaret's words.

"Guys, not now," Emma shook her head, feeling the bitter claws of disappointment and anger clawing at her, "Please."

"Emma, wait," David tried to go after her as she pushed off the tree and moved to sit by herself off to the side, but Mary Margaret squeezed his hand, giving him a look to wait, to let HER try. He nodded, letting her go to join their daughter.

"Please talk to me," Mary Margaret spoke as she sat beside Emma, waiting a moment in silence before she opened her mouth.

"There's nothing to talk about," Emma muttered, not looking at her, "We had our chance and we lost I lost."

"Then you have to keep fighting."

"You heard what Hook said," Emma scoffed, "Pan is a demon."

"And you are a…"

"What?" she cut in bitterly, "A savior? Because if that were true, this map would've shown us the way already."

Mary Margaret was silent a moment, "Maybe who you think you are…isn't who you really are."

"What do you mean?" Emma sighed, glancing at her.

"Sometimes we think we know ourselves, or we think we know others, but we need a push to show us the reality," she hesitated a moment, "For the longest time, Piper was my cousin, and just that…my baby cousin, my sister. But…it took me watching her kill Cora to realize that wasn't all she was. She's part-Siren, she's the Dark One's True Love, she's my cousin, she's a princess and a fighter and…so many other things that I couldn't make myself see. Because I was holding onto who she used to be, and even then…I didn't see all of her. Maybe you're looking too much at who you want to be, who others see you as instead of who you see yourself as," she eyed Emma, "That boy with the knife," she mentioned, thinking about how Emma had gotten one of them on their back, had her knife at his chest, had been fighting him, but just…let him go, had stopped fighting and nearly gotten hurt as well, "You stopped fighting him. Why?"

"Cause he was just a boy?" she shrugged.

"No," Mary Margaret shook her head, "There was something else. I saw it in your eyes. Why did you stop?" she reached out to touch Emma's shoulder, "Why?"

Emma let out a long breath and looked away, "Because when I looked at his face, I saw me."

"Go on," Mary Margaret swallowed, dropping her hand.

"That look in his eyes?" She took a deep breath, "The despair. I had it back when I was in the foster system. Just a lost little girl who didn't matter and didn't think she ever would. A little girl who cried herself to sleep at night cause," her voice broke, "She wanted her parents so bad. And could never understand why they gave her up."

"And then you found us," Mary Margaret tried to reassure her, tried to lighten her hurt.

"It was too late," Emma shook her head, "Because you didn't even know who I was, and I didn't believe who you were," she glanced at Mary Margaret, "I always wondered if you were looking for me, if…if there was something that happened and we were separated and that you'd come find me but you couldn't even remember me."

"I'm so sorry Emma," Mary Margaret breathed.

"You know…" Emma looked away, "Piper told me once that she tried to find me. She spent 28 years looking for me, wanting to give me a family," Mary Margaret nodded at that, Piper had told her that and she had wished it had happened so badly, but it never had, "She tried to find me for 28 years, me and Neal, and…" she shook her head, "She couldn't find me. I almost had a family, I could have had one, I could have known who I was and felt like I belonged but I just kept missing it. It's like fate didn't want me to have that and…this island, it makes it worse. Because here, I…I don't feel like," she sniffled, trying not to cry, not wanting to cry, "A hero or a savior. I just feel like what I've always been. An orphan."

"Emma…" Mary Margaret whispered, her eyes on the map.

"What?" Emma looked at her.

But Mary Margaret pointed to the map, "Look!"

Emma turned and looked down, gasping as she saw images appear on the blank parchment, a map with a giant red X on it forming, "What happened?"

"You accepted who you are," Mary Margaret said sadly.

Emma glanced at her, seeing the tears in her mother's eyes, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Mary Margaret nodded, "It's the truth. You were an orphan," she took a deep breath and put a hand on Emma's, "And it's my job to change that," she offered Emma a hopeful smile, "Now, come on, we have a way to Henry now."

Emma nodded, wiping the tears from her face, before she stood and ran back to the others, "The map is working!" she called to them, gathering Regina, Hook, and David to her, "We know where Henry is."

"Where?" Regina asked as Hook too the map.

"Uh," he examined it, "We're here at the Southern tip of the isle, in the middle of the Dark Jungle," he used his hook to show them the path, "And Pan's camp lies due north. That's where he's keeping Henry."

"What are we waiting for?" Regina demanded.

"Well, the terrain's not easy. There will undoubtedly be some nasty impediments along the way."

"We should prepare," David nodded, "We only made it out of our last encounter because Pan let us. We need a new plan."

"Agreed," Emma nodded, "It's time we stop playing his game and he starts playing ours."

"And if I disagree?" Regina countered.

Emma glanced back at her, "Go ahead, but I think you know our best chance is together."

Regina's lips pursed and Emma was, for a moment, wondering if it had been Regina that both Mary Margaret and Piper had gotten that trait of displaying their displeasure from, "You better be right," she stated before turning to see if there was anything in the camp they could use.

Mary Margaret and David nodded at each other and moved to gather supplies, leaving Emma and Hook. Mary Margaret glanced back at them, seeing Hook offering Emma some rum from a flask and had to smile just slightly, even though she didn't trust Hook at all…if Piper had been there, she was quite sure the man would have been murdered for just speaking to Emma. That was only one thing of many that made her wish her cousin was there with her. Piper was fiercely protective and…she knew that this would be hard. Even having her husband and daughter there…she just wanted her cousin, her sister, to be there with her too.

But she would see her soon, she swore it, they would save Henry and find Piper again.

~8~

Gold sat on a log, looking at a straw doll in his hand. One of the lost boys, a blonde boy he knew was named Felix, had half thrown it at him. He'd been confronted by the boy with a message from Pan, that he was welcome on the island so long as he didn't try to find Henry. He'd refused that message, he knew that Henry would be his downfall, as the Seer had told him, he'd thought it had happened when Hook had attacked him, but he'd survived and now he knew…it was Pan. HE was the only one who would be able to take the boy down and he was more than willing to die trying. So it wasn't a matter of if he'd die facing Pan, but how many of Pan's allies he could take out on the way. Felix had given him the doll and he had broken down at the sight of it. It had been over centuries since the last time he'd seen it.

He looked up though, setting the doll down beside him when he heard a rustling in the bushes, "Who's there?" he called, "Show yourself!"

He spun around as a figure in a pitch black cloak stepped out of the bushes behind him, grabbed the doll, and ran off.

He grit his teeth at that, "That doesn't belong to you, dearie," he nearly growled before he gave chase, following the figure through the woods, reaching to grab it by the arm, spinning it around to face him as he yanked down the hood…only to blink when he saw Piper smiling back at him.

"Pip?" he breathed, staring at her in shock, eyeing her intently, the black cloak falling open slightly, revealing the attire that she used to wear in the Enchanted Forest, a white tunic, green vest, black pants and boots, and…her black cloak as well, she even had a pipe sticking out of her boot, "I don't understand. How did you get here? Where's Bae?"

'Piper' just smiled at him, "I love the outfit Rummy," she spoke, eyeing him, "I missed your old clothes. Did you miss mine?"

"Well, this is how it has to be," Gold eyed her, a frown forming on his face, "Becoming this again, The Dark One, that's the only way I'll save my grandson."

"WE will save him," she stepped closer, "The Dark One and the Pied Piper, as it should be," she leaned in to kiss him, but Gold stepped back.

"You're not really here, are you?" he asked her.

"No," she agreed, "I cannot be. You know that the bean would take Bae and I home, the Enchanted Forest, that is home."

He swallowed at that, not sure if he believed her, if she was in the Enchanted Forest and not there before him, then how was she there, "Are you both ok?" he played along with it for now.

"I am fine," she gave him a sorrowful look, "But Bae…I am so sorry Rummy…but he…he died."

Gold glared at her for that, that was impossible, Piper wouldn't let Bae die, and even if he did…she wouldn't be like this, she wouldn't be saying she's sorry. That wasn't how she talked, she would say my apologies, she would tell him how she was going to rip Pan's heart out, how she was going to make his mind explode with her music, that she would help him claim his vengeance. She wouldn't just be standing there and apologizing to him. And that cloak…it wasn't her shadow cloak, it wasn't infused with the power he'd given it, it was just a black cloak. On top of that, his shadow hadn't returned with her half of the pipe, which meant his shadow wasn't the one that had brought her to him. This wasn't the Piper he knew.

"How do I know these aren't just lies meant to lead me astray?" he demanded, "How do I know Pan didn't conjure up a vision of you?"

"Because the power that brought me here…it could only be YOU, Rummy."

"What?" he scoffed.

She nodded, "The real question would be why," she smirked, "Walk with me?" she held out a hand to him.

But Gold's expression just hardened but he stepped forward and took her hand, linking it through his arm as he walked with her. Even just touching her made his skin crawl, proving more than anything that this wasn't his Piper, this wasn't her at all. And when he found Pan, he would rip the boy's heart out himself for daring to try and use Piper's image against him.

Until then though…he would play along, he would make Pan think he was so weak as to fall for this, better that he be underestimated than over.

~8~

Emma was knelt in the woods, gathering some water in her waterskin and gathering some berries for supplies, when she heard a rustle behind her, not even bothering to turn as she heard a soft chuckle with it and knew it was Pan.

"Don't eat the blue ones," he warned jokingly, "Congratulations. You did it orphan. You don't mind if I call you a lost girl, do you?"

"Call me what you like," she didn't rise to the bait, "It won't stop me from finding Henry."

"Oh," he chuckled, "I'm counting on that. There's a reason I tested you."

"Really?" she scoffed, from what she could tell, it was all fun and games for him, something meant to drive a wedge between her parents and her, that resentment she still felt for having been abandoned.

She closed her eyes and realized…she almost wished Piper was there as well. The woman was harsh, blunt, but she said what needed to be said. She was sure that the woman would have made some remark about how she shouldn't hold it against her parents, when SHE had done the very same thing to Henry, let him go, gave him up, didn't bother to look for him. At least Piper had been actively looking for her, for 28 years, had August told her about running into Neal and her, she was sure that Piper would have found some way to integrate herself into her life.

But Piper wasn't there and she pushed that thought of what she herself had done to Henry to the back of her mind.

"You haven't forgiven your parents for abandoning you," Pan remarked, as though reading her thoughts, "Don't deny it. You haven't. That's good. Really good. Cos when you find Henry, you'll understand him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma did round on him this time.

"He hasn't forgiven you either," Pan smirked and, again, she truly wished Piper was there too, because Pan was saying this with the intent to hurt her, whereas Piper would only have said it to help her move past it, "By the time you get to him, he'll never want to leave this island."

"We'll see," Emma straightened.

"And as for you, Emma," Pan shrugged, "When we're finished, you won't just feel like an orphan. You'll be one."

Emma's jaw clenched at that but Pan just grinned and disappeared before her eyes, making her even more determined to find her son than ever before and making her feel even more like when she finally got him back, her parents would have to hold her back from killing Pan herself.

~8~

"Have you worked out why your magic brought me to the island?" Piper asked as she and Gold walked near a cliff.

Gold was silent a long moment, he knew what this was. Whatever sort of magic that Pan had used to conjure Piper's image…he was searching for information about HIS magic. If he admitted it was possible for his magic to do something like this, it would give Pan an idea of how powerful he was, how powerful he'd become. But if he denied it, it would make the boy think him weak and that was something he didn't want to ever be seen as by the boy. Underestimated, yes, but not weak.

"I thought you were gonna show me the answer," he remarked neutrally.

"You already know the answer Rummy," she smiled lightly.

"I've told you I don't."

"I think you do."

"I have no idea."

She paused and turned to him, frowning, "Why are you lying to me?" she looked into his eyes.

"I'm not," he said instantly, gritting his teeth tightly, he'd wanted to automatically tell her the truth of what he was thinking, seeing her eyes, her familiar eyes looking into his own, he'd felt himself slipping, his tongue loosening and only just managed to pull back.

"You are hiding something from me," she gave him a sad look, "I have told you everything about my life, who I truly am, and you swore to do the same."

He bit his tongue at that, Piper wouldn't give him that sad, pleading look, she would respect what he didn't want to say, she wouldn't pry. But he knew that Pan would be expecting him to crack at that, so he gave something, "I'm a coward. I'm just like my father."

She smiled at that, something Piper wouldn't have done, "Does that make you feel better? Does it tell you why I am here?"

He didn't understand why whatever she was was so intent to have him say that, as though it were some grand secret that he was only just admitting. He'd called himself a coward to Piper before, he'd admitted to it ages ago, and what she said to him just then…she would have countered with how strong he was, not agreed with it.

"Because you were always a source of strength for me," he answered, it wasn't like that was some large secret either. The fact that Pan knew enough of how he felt for her to select her image instead of his boy said a world of what Pan already knew about Piper. He had to remember though that Tamara had been engaged to his son, she would undoubtedly hear tales about him and Piper as well that she had related to Pan.

"And it appears I still am," she nodded, "I was always someone you could talk to. I would not judge you Rummy. So tell me…what is bothering you so?"

He weighed his words before he spoke again, "Pan offered me a deal. I let him keep Henry and he allows me to live. The boy needn't be my undoing."

"You fear you shall make the wrong choice?"

"Don't I always?" THAT slipped out a little too quickly.

"You chose me, did you not?" she smirked and that did sound very much like her, so much so that for a moment he could almost believe it was her, "You lost Bae," she continued, "You lost me. Henry is important to both of us," she shook her head, "I doubt you would leave him because of that."

He was silent a moment, it was another test of Pan's to see just how much family might have come to mean to him, what would he be willing to give up, what were his reasons for going after Henry. Was it guilt? Was it family obligation? Loyalty? Was he genuine in his desire to save his grandson? How far was he willing to go to get Henry back.

And he was NOT about to give Pan that much information, so he changed the subject to the straw doll he'd nicked back from her when he caught her, "You know, this was the last thing my father gave me."

"What happened to him?"

Gold looked at her, just barely keeping the frown off his face. Piper, the real Piper, knew exactly what happened to his father. He had told her. She had told him, once, about what happened to her parents, he'd later told her what happened to his own as well. They…shared, that was a first for him, sharing anything with another person. But she KNEW already. That was just another bit of proof that the person before him wasn't Piper. But he understood, no one knew that he'd told Piper that except Piper and him, no one, not Snow White, not his son, not Tamara. Pan would have no idea that Piper knew exactly what had become of his 'dear old dad.'

"He left me," was all he gave instead.

"So leave him," Piper said simply, nodding to the cliff.

He did have to grin at that, at how callous it was, how blunt. That did remind him of Piper and…if this was one of Pan's creations, he wanted to give it the pleasure of showing the boy just how little his father meant to him, just how serious he was in his threat to take everyone out with him as he fought the boy, how willing he was to kill the man if he ever got the chance.

So he turned and threw the doll off the cliff, grinning as he watched it fall, knowing it would be quite the metaphor, his father WOULD fall, by HIS hand, he would make sure of that.

A/N: Not much of Piper (the REAL Piper) here :( But I wanted to show that she's very much in the thoughts of the people there as well :)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh yes, Pan will have a very different song ;)


	4. The Sword in the Stone

The Sword in the Stone

Piper was standing on a rather tall ladder set up against the wall of the main chamber of the Dark Castle, a small feather duster in her hand as she worked on getting the dust from the tops of the cabinets worked away. She was humming lightly under her breath, a soft smile on her face when she heard Rumpelstiltskin behind her, humming an answering tune. It made her want to giggle if that were something she was accustomed to doing anymore. The tune she was humming was a light duet, and to hear him giving her the answering melody made her heart beat faster in her chest.

It was shaping up to be a…a good day for her, she was actually quite happy. Her cousin was safe, she'd been awoken from the sleeping curse, she was going to take back her kingdom (something Rumpelstiltskin had promised her he would do all he could to help with that, subtly though, no use getting the Queen all riled up). She knew that Snow White would do it, she was strong and resourceful and she had more allies than she realized, including the Pied Piper and the Dark One, though she doubted that Snow knew that.

Things were even going well for she and Rumpelstiltskin as well. So many people would probably think her mad, for how she felt about him, for how safe she felt around him and…how loved she felt as well. But she had come to realize that she truly didn't care what people thought of her. The only person that she cared the opinion of was Rumpelstiltskin himself and Snow White and she liked to think that, in the long run, Snow would just be happy that SHE was happy. She loved him, she knew it, she loved the Dark One and she really did feel…happy. It was such a strange feeling given how miserable she'd been for so long now, but she really truly was.

She smiled at the feather duster in her hand, giving a small sneeze when a blast of dust hit her nose, he'd tried to steal it from her. He had been…reconsidering her position in his life. She had entered it by becoming his caretaker for his castle, but she had grown to be a partner to him, yet still maintain her duties. Now though…she was so much more than that, they both knew it, she was much more than just a caretaker and partner. Well, she WAS a partner, but in an entirely different way than before. He'd tried to tell her that she didn't have to keep taking care of the castle.

It had been…well, adorable would have been the word she'd use if he wasn't the Dark One, but it was warming how awkward and stuttering he'd gotten when he'd tried to bring that up. He saw it almost as demeaning, making her clean the entire castle, to keep chores like that when she wasn't the caretaker any longer but the mistress of the castle and…she'd cut him off then, surprised that he considered her to be mistress of his home. He'd gotten uncharacteristically sweet and told her she was mistress of his heart, and home was where the heart was. She'd kissed him soundly for that, but informed him that she had no intention of giving up her chores or her duties in their home.

That had made HIM smile to hear, that she considered the Dark Castle not just a home to her, but THEIR home as well, one they shared together. She'd explained that, when he was off doing his deals that didn't require her (and she had a feeling that a few more in the future might not require her than normal, he was rather possessive and protective of the things he cared about, like her), she would need something to do with her time than just sit there and wait for him. Her duties kept her occupied, the cleaning helped her focus when she was deep in thought about something or uneasy or worried. And…she had perhaps gotten a bit possessive and commanding herself in telling him she would not allow another woman into that castle to take over her roles, SHE would be the only woman in his life in that capacity, SHE would be the only woman who knew him and his home that intimately. He'd seemed very pleased that she wanted to stay and take care of his castle, the things in it, all of it was important to him and it seemed to touch him that she thought they were important to her as well, so much so that she wanted to be the one taking care of them, that she didn't trust anyone else to.

She was abruptly cut off, however, when the doors to the room flew open with a crash and, in turning to see what was going on, expecting it to be Regina (she cursed herself for getting so caught up in her humming and thoughts that she hadn't heard the approaching song of someone else), she topped over the side of the ladder and fell. But in the next instant, before she could even blink, Rumpelstiltskin was beneath her, his arms around her waist and legs, catching her and sending a withering glare at Prince Charming as he stood in the doorway.

His gaze, however, softened when he looked at Piper, making sure she was unharmed from her fall. She took a moment to catch her breath, having been winded by the toppling and the catch but gave him a nod to set her down.

He placed her gently on her feet, his hand remaining behind her back, on the small of it, as he turned his glare back at the shepherd prince, "You again?" he sneered at the man, "Didn't I just help you wake your princess?"

"Now I need your help once more," Charming stated, "Long ago you made Snow remember who she was when a spell blinded her. I need you to do it again."

Rumpelstiltskin felt Piper stiffen beside him and gently ran a hand up and down her back, unnoticed by Charming, soothing her as he eyed the prince, "What happened with your precious princess now? Did she have her eyes stolen this time?"

Charming let out a breath at that, focusing on Rumpelstiltskin instead of the woman who was frowning at him from beside the imp, he didn't have the fondest memories of the woman, the last two times he'd encountered her, she'd been ruthless in getting him on his knees and on his back and gasping for breath as he struggled to push past the unimaginable agony she had inflicted upon him with just that pipe that was sticking out of her boot. He knew enough of his own actions to know that she'd only resorted to that when he'd threatened her, but it was difficult to push past just how blinding that pain and torment had been. Someone capable of creating that sort of agony had to be able to create something a little less painful as well. But, then again, she was standing awfully close to the Dark One and given how easily she did so, how comfortable she seemed around the man, he could guess that meant that they were fairly similar in personalities. He should expect something like that from a woman like her.

"The Queen attacked," he stated.

"What?!" Piper spoke, making Charming frown and glance at her not just for the outcry but for the tone of it. It was surprised, disbelieving, and…slightly concerned as well.

"Yes…" Charming eyed her a moment, before shaking his head, focusing on Rumpelstiltskin once more, eyeing how the man had taken an almost unnoticeable step closer to Piper for that as well, "We were rallying the people," he continued, "And the Queen appeared. She threatened one of the peasants, a young girl, told Snow that she must either agree to relinquish her claim to the throne, to remove herself from the kingdom and live in exile with her supporters, or that the Queen would attack."

"And this is my concern why?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Because Snow is starting to question herself," Charming frowned, "She's ready to give in, to give up, to just…leave. She's doubting her ability to rule and to protect her people. She's convinced the Queen will come after the people important to…her…" he trailed off a moment, seeing Piper stiffen beside Rumpelstiltskin at that, "She feels lost, like she's merely an orphan, a bandit, that she doesn't have what it takes to rule, that anyone who follows her will go to their deaths."

"Ahh again," Rumpelstiltskin made a face, "Not seeing how this is my concern."

"Because if Snow doesn't stand up to the Queen then no one will," Charming glared at him, "And then she'll turn on you. Do you want to risk her becoming your enemy as well?"

Rumpelstiltskin let out a high giggle at that, "Is the little shepherd worrying about my flock?" he grinned, "Sorry to tell you, dearie, but I was the one who taught Regina all she knows, and all she knows is all she knows and not all that I know," he put his hands to his chest, his grin growing smug, "If she dares attack me, she will be dealt with. Until then, not my problem."

Piper glanced at him, eyeing him closely, seeing a tension in his smile and how his gaze kept flickering to her. She recognized that expression, those actions, it had happened once before, they'd been on a small lunch in the woods, bandits had attacked, not knowing that the Dark One was the one that they were robbing. She'd gotten grabbed by one, a knife to her neck, and they'd demanded that he pay them all he had for her return. He'd waved it off, sounding as though he were encouraging them to just kill her, but his smile was strained, his eyes flickering to her as though trying to convey something to her. The way he spoke as well was odd, he'd made a few remarks about the sounds of nature, the music of screaming, and other things, and she'd realized…he wasn't defending her because he believed in her ability to protect herself, he was giving her the chance to use her magic, to practice it. He was confident that she could handle herself, and he gave her the freedom to do so, while knowing that he would defend her if she truly needed it.

She started to smile as she saw what he was doing, and looked back at Charming, seeing a wider smile grow on Rumpelstiltskin face when he realized she'd caught on.

"You must have something that can change Snow's mind," Charming demanded.

"If she doesn't wanna fight the Queen, there's nothing I can do to change that," he shrugged.

"I just need a way to make her believe in something that I already know. That she can face Regina and win."

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head, "Magic can't make someone believe, dearie. It works the other way around. Belief must come from within. You know, the Queen's offer was a fair one. Do yourself a favor and take it. Ruling a kingdom ain't all it's cracked up to be. Just ask your dear old brother. Oh, wait. He died. You see my point," he giggled.

Charming glared at him, "No. I didn't come here to take 'no' for an answer. Now you must have something. You always do. Just name your price."

"Hmm…" he hummed, making it seem like he was contemplating it, "Nope, sorry. Bye bye now."

Charming's hands clenched into fists before he turned and stormed out of the castle.

~8~

Charming was walking through a forest, deep in thought, making his way from the Dark Castle, trying to find some way to get Snow to believe in herself again. He stopped, grabbing his sword and whirling around when he heard a twig crack behind him.

"I would put that down if you do not wish to end up tormented again," Piper stated as she looked down at the sword aimed right at her chest from his spin.

"I think I have the upper hand this time," Charming glared at her, not trusting her at all, pushing the sword tip closer to her.

She raised an eyebrow at that, "Do you?" she smirked and that was all the warning he had before he found himself with his body seizing up, the veins of his neck bulging as she merely whistled a shrill note to him, not even reaching for her pipe.

She waited till he sunk to his knees and released the sword to try and cover his ears before she stopped. She crouched down, grabbing his sword and placed it across her knees, resting her elbows on it, her chin rested on her entwined hands, "Contrary to what you may believe, shepherd, I did not come to fight with you."

Charming panted, "Then…what did you want?"

"To offer you a bit of help."

"You?" he scoffed, hardly believing that at all.

She nodded, "Yes."

He eyed her a long moment, "Why?"

"The same reason as you, we are invested in Snow's future," she said simply.

He frowned at that, at how she addressed Snow as just…Snow. Not Snow White, not her highness, not the princess or the bandit or any other title she'd held but just Snow, like she was familiar with her in such a way that she could call the woman just that.

"You care about Snow's future?" he gave her an incredulous look, "YOU?"

"Yes," she repeated, "There is…one condition to my help, however."

"And what would that be?" he started to glare at her, fully expecting her to demand a place in Snow's court or allegiance to the Dark One or money or…

"Whatever may come…you stay with her."

He blinked, not expecting THAT.

"What?" he breathed.

"There are…difficult decisions that must always be made when a ruler comes to power," Piper began, carefully picking her words, "Snow lacks the strength to make such decisions. She is…too pure of heart to do what must sometimes be done. She will require others to be strong for her, in that sense, to be the one to bear the burden of those decisions. There was one who…" she hesitated, "There was one who was to help her in that area of ruling, but they have long since gone, and now that duty must fall to you."

"I…I don't understand," he shook his head, "You just…want me to support her?"

Piper nodded, "The future of this realm will rest upon Snow White and the outcome of the battle she is waging with the Queen. She will need someone there to be her strength when she feels weak, to encourage her when she lacks faith, to hold onto hope when she has lost hers. If you can swear to me that you will never abandon her, that you shall remain at her side and support her no matter the cost, and that you will endeavor to be a source of strength to her…then I shall help you convince her of her worth."

"I was already planning on being that," he admitted, "I love her, more than anything in the world. I will always love her and I will always be there for her."

Piper eyed him closely, searching his eyes as though trying to see if he was telling the truth or not. He had to frown though, there was something about her eyes that was familiar to him, that shade of forest green that he felt like he should recognize. But before he could give more thought to it, Piper nodded and stood, holding his sword to him, the blade carefully in her hand, the hilt extended to him.

"Then we have reached an accord."

He carefully took the sword and stood, putting it back in its sheath, "How can I help Snow?"

"Take snow to a hill on the west, a mile from here," Piper began, "There will be a rock there, with a sword in it. Tell her the story of Excalibur, you know it?" he nodded, "Tell her it," she repeated, "Make her believe it IS Excalibur, make a show of trying to pull it out, but do try not to actually pull it out. And then let her do so."

"The sword comes out and she'll believe in herself," he murmured, realizing the plan, everyone knew the legend of Excalibur.

It was the most powerful sword ever created, made of the most beautiful light magic and forged by a mage of great power, likely equal to the Dark One's dark magic. Merlin had created it to help his king, but it was so powerful that he never wanted another to use it but the king. The legend went that only the rightful ruler, the one truly meant to rule the people, could pull the sword from the stone that Merlin had stabbed it into.

"How do I get her to agree to go?" he looked at her.

"Tell her it will help her defeat the Queen," Piper shrugged, "What else would make her fight but something she could use TO fight?"

He nodded slowly, that made sense to him, but he found himself frowning, "How can you be certain it will work?"

"Because Excalibur and Camelot was her favorite story as a child," Piper stated simply, "Despite all that has happened to her, she will cling to the hope of what Excalibur could mean."

Charming's frown deepened, "How could you possibly know that was her favorite story?"

"How could I possibly know that you have a twin?" she countered with a smirk, realizing only too late how much she had given away in getting lost in her memories and thoughts of her cousin. She'd just…wanted to help so badly that she hadn't even realized she was revealing FAR too much to him.

"Rumpelstiltskin," he bit out.

Piper didn't nod or shrug an answer at that, let the man think what he wanted, "You should go," she told him instead, "Fetch Snow, when you arrive at the hill, a sword shall be there."

"How do I know I can trust you?" he looked at her warily.

"Have you much else to lose?" she countered.

Charming was silent at that, the truth of the matter all too clear, this was truly his last chance to get Snow to believe in herself again and if that meant listening to this woman…he'd do it. He gave her one last cautious look before he nodded and turned to head off, back to where his horse was tethered in the woods to go fetch his wife-to-be.

"You let more slip in the last few minutes than you did the months spent with me, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin's voice spoke behind her though she hardly even flinched or let on any other sign that he'd surprised her, for he hadn't. She'd known he was watching her that entire time.

"It is…difficult to hear that Snow is struggling," she offered as an excuse, "When I have the opportunity to help her, to truly help her, on my own…even if it is through her prince," she sighed, "I was a bit too eager to do so."

"I suppose, if you are going through with this plan, you shall need a sword that could pass as Excalibur then," Rumpelstiltskin remarked.

Piper turned to him to see him holding a rather lovely sword in his hand and smiled, "I was just going to take one from the stores in the dungeons," she remarked, thinking of the stockpile of weapons he had come to collect from his various prisoners over the years.

"Yes, but you would need one that just a bit more magic resistant," he grinned, stepping towards her and handing the sword over, "If she is to use it against Regina, she must have something that CAN be used against her, even if it's just a simple enchantment."

She took the sword from him gently and eyed it, almost able to feel the magic in it, "Many thanks," she eyed it another moment before she looked at him, "Might I ask something else of you?"

"Name it Pip."

She felt her lips quirk into a smirk at how he had instantly been ok with her asking something of him, not even needing to know what it was. It was so like the trap he often hoped his clients would fall into, that they would offer anything, but she knew the only reason he'd said that was because he knew she wouldn't ask more than what he could offer.

"Could you remove this memory from Charming?" she asked him, "I should like him to not let it slip that it was I that helped him. Perhaps leaving the memory of the sword and where to go, but remove all else? Is that possible?"

"You forget who you're dealing with dearie," Rumpelstiltskin grinned, waving his hand as a small poof of purple wafted off it, not just taking care of Charming's memory, erasing much of the last few minutes, but also transporting them to the rock on the hill to get the sword in place.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin sat on a rock in the middle of the woods, watching as Snow White called out for him, searching for him. Everything had gone just as Piper had hoped. They had set the sword in the stone, Charming playing his role perfectly, reminding her of the story, of what the sword meant, had played the fool in trying to pry it out of the rock…a rather laughable attempt on his part. He was certain that if Snow White hadn't been wallowing so deeply in her hopeless misery she'd have seen that he was faking the entire time. But she had stepped up and pulled the sword, shocking truly, and gone back to face Regina. One of her dwarves though, the rather irritable one, got in the crossfire of Regina's attack and had nearly been killed but Snow attacked with the sword and managed to cut the Queen's cheek, which seemed to reaffirm to her that the sword was real and that, with it, she could reclaim her kingdom.

He and Piper had been watching the entire thing from one of his enchanted mirrors, and the smile on Piper's face, to know that even from a distance she could still help her cousin had been enough to make him appear to Snow White's calls for him. He knew that there was still a threat of Regina, but now that Snow was fighting back against her, there was less power that the Queen had. Still, Piper stayed with him to help protect her cousin, refusing to do anything to reveal herself till Snow was on the throne and Regina was banished. He knew it hurt her, that her cousin was out there fighting for her kingdom while she was working as his caretaker, so he had tried to give her an opportunity to help Charming. He knew that Piper, of all people, would be able to give the man a plan to help his love. She knew her cousin better than anyone, she knew exactly what the girl would need to believe in herself again and she'd done it, without Charming or Snow even realizing it.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" Snow was still calling, not seeming to notice him behind her, "Rumpelstiltskin!"

"What do you want?" he huffed, getting rather irritated. He couldn't quite see the family resemblance between Piper and Snow, save for their eyes, they were quite different. Had it been Piper there, she would have noticed he was there within moments, without even needing to turn around.

"We need to discuss the deal you made with Charming," Snow White stated, 'Excalibur' in her hand.

"Have to be a bit more specific, dearie," he smirked, knowing that it would irritate the woman to be reminded of just how many times she and her prince had come to him for help, how much of their success they owed to him (and Piper).

"He came to you searching for something powerful enough to vanquish the Queen," Snow stated, "You told him of Excalibur," he saw a suspicion in her eyes at that. There were numerous, numerous weapons that he could have told Charming about, but the fact that it was Excalibur that the prince had spoken of…he could tell the woman was curious why THAT particular weapon had been selected given how it had been her favorite tale as a child, "Now whatever it is that he promised you in return, I am prepared to pay it. But I won't allow him to remain in your debt."

"How nauseatingly romantic," he rolled his eyes at that.

"What did he promise you?" Snow demanded, "With you, everything comes with a cost."

"It's true," he nodded, "Your prince came to ask for aid fighting the Queen. I told him I had nothing to give, and _I_ didn't," he grinned widely at that, giggling slightly at how HE hadn't had a thing to do with this, but Piper had.

"Then how did you know where to find Excalibur?" Snow frowned.

"Everyone knows it's in Camelot," he remarked dryly, seeing that she thought he'd somehow magically transported the sword to this kingdom.

"But it's not," Snow held up her sword, "I possess it now."

"If that were Excalibur, I wouldn't be able to do this!" he suddenly appeared before her, twitching his hand as the blade of the sword disintegrated before her very eyes, "Sword's a fake, dearie," he stated the obvious, "Shoddy craftsmanship, too. But then again, what can you expect from a shepherd?" might as well allow her to think that Charming had something to do with this, whatever would cast the suspicion far away from him and Piper, "Lucky it wasn't made out of wool."

"I struck Regina!" Snow shook her head, not understanding how this was possible, "I drew blood!"

"Enough of your ramblings," Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes and reached out, grabbing the end of a necklace that Snow was wearing and yanked it off.

"No!" she gasped, "Please. That belonged to my mother."

"And now it belongs to me," he grinned, dangling the necklace up, "You're right about one thing, dearie. Everything comes with a cost, including wasting my time."

And with that, he disappeared in a swirl of smoke, appearing back in the Dark Castle where Piper was standing before the enchanted mirror, having watched them. She was looking at Snow, standing there with her hand to her neck where her necklace had been.

"What did you need the necklace for?" Piper asked, her head tilted as she watched her cousin striding across the forest and back to her prince to speak to him, likely to tell him she knew the sword was fake and to thank him for having faith in her.

"Nothing that will harm her," he assured, walking over to her, the necklace firmly in his hand, "And she shall get it back."

Piper nodded, not questioning more than that, "Do you think she will succeed?" she asked quietly.

"Are you the one lacking faith in your cousin now?" he countered lightly.

"I have endless faith in Snow, I know her better than anyone," Piper shook her head, "I am asking you," she turned to him, "As someone who knows the Queen the best, what is your faith in her magic? Will she be too strong for Snow to defeat?"

"On her own…yes," he told her honestly, reaching up to touch her cheek, "With allies though," he tilted his own head, "I suppose that is the curse of a villain. We are always alone and, because of that, we always fall."

"Not anymore," she told him, leaning her head into his touch, "You have me now," she looked up at him, reaching up to touch the back of his hand on her cheek, "And I have you."

He grinned darkly at that, just imagining what he and Piper could do together if they so wished it, he'd already done so much, so much more than he ever thought he could with her at his side, helping to sway his more difficult clients.

"Heaven help anyone who tries to take us down," he remarked gently, a soft giggle coming out of him before it was lightly cut off by her lips on his.

It was true though, that was always the downfall of a villain. They were alone, left to fight for themselves, and facing an enemy that had allies and support and those who fought for them out of desire instead of fear. They had more minds, more resources, more strength to them than one person facing them all alone. They had others that would fight for them, those who would care for them and tend to them when wounded, who would never betray them. That was a qualm with villains, you could only trust them to betray you, to be selfish, to be using you, to turn on you at the drop of a hat. But it was a novel idea, wasn't it? For villains to be able to find some level of trust in each other, like he did with Piper.

Villains teaming up?

The heroes wouldn't stand a chance.

A/N: I know there's more examples of memory potions and things in the show, but there was also a point where Regina made Henry forget a few minutes of conversation with her. She told him about the Trigger and what she was planning to do with the beans and when he reacted negatively she erased that conversation. I think the Dark One could probably erase Charming's memories of Piper actually helping him in this case ;) I wonder if he remembered that moment, remembered what Piper said to him and how she helped him, if he'd be more accepting of her now? I guess we'll never know }:)

Some notes on reviews...

We'll have to wait and see how Piper or Neal get to Neverland ;)

Yup, Pan knows about Piper, mostly from Tamara and Greg's observations of her though :) As for the shadows, it'll depend which shadow gets there first }:) I think they'd need Pan's shadow to get out of Neverland though, because they can't leave without Pan's help so they take his shadow to help them :) We'll have to wait and see how Gold might react to his own shadow though ;) This chapter was a flashback yup :) I can say there will be 2 points in this story where we won't have a flashback chapter. The mid-season split will go from dealing with Pan right into the aftermath of their return, to add more to the 'what's going on?' feel, and because the finale was 2 episodes but in 1 showing, I'm going to count that as just a very long chapter with no flashback between :)


	5. Quite a Common Fairy

Quite a Common Fairy

Piper stood before a the cupboard in the Dark Castle, her head tilted to the side as she critically eyed the items in there, thinking about if any of them would be useful in getting them to Neverland. Neal was rather close to the objects, sifting through them, searching through them, though she doubted he had any idea at all what half of them actually did. He truly had pushed anything with magic out of his life, he hadn't been around when Rumpelstiltskin had taken the castle, when he'd gathered those objects, he couldn't possibly know what any of them did…yet he was acting as though, just because he was the man's son, that it was his right to go touching all of the items. She had actually slapped him on the back of the head when he'd first tried to sort through them, because he'd tried to just toss random objects over his shoulder and, when he'd nearly broken the bottle that she knew contained a rather nasty plague, she'd slapped him in the head and told him not to dare break anything.

She knew though that there was little there that could help them get to Neverland. When she had lived there, Rumpelstiltskin had never had a desire to go to that particular area. That had been the one place he hadn't researched portals to. She knew of at least two ways to get to Storybrooke, to a land without magic, from there. The first was the wardrobe, the ashes were probably still there, they could return as they had, through Lake Nostos. There was also if they could find a way to summon a Siren of the Sea to them, the mermaids were distant cousins of them and, while Sirens were bound to realms, the Mermaids could travel through them. It would be dangerous, to travel via Mermaid, but there were spells that could be cast that could allow them to breathe underwater for a few hours. She hadn't said a word about that last part when she'd been there with Emma and Mary Margaret, mostly because her last experience with Sirens was…not pleasant and she was rather sure they would try to kill her and anyone that she brought with her before they even thought to help her.

But it was better now, because there were more ways to get to Neverland, she was sure, than to Storybrooke, and that was where they had to go.

"You found the crystal ball," Mulan called as she and Robin stood behind the two, the doors to the room open once more, knowing that Robin would not be doing anything against them, "What else are you looking for?"

"It showed me where Emma is…" Neal began.

"And Rummy," Piper added.

But Neal ignored her, "Not how to get her."

"And Rummy," Piper gave him a narrow eyed look.

"I'm not sure you can find a horse in there, mate," Robin remarked.

"It would certainly drown," Piper murmured, "As Neverland is an island. No," she shook her head, "What we need is a portal."

Mulan frowned, "You're searching for a way to create one? Can we not use the method that sent you home last time?"

Piper sighed, "No, the wardrobe ashes would be keyed to Storybrooke. And without a compass to ensure that we make it there, we could end up in Narnia or another world."

"We just need ONE way to create the portal," Neal huffed, starting to get frustrated again.

"Why don't you calm down and tell me what the problem is," Robin spoke calmly, "Perhaps I can assist."

"You?" Piper scoffed, glancing at him.

He threw her a glare, "If it helps me be rid of you all the sooner, then yes."

"Henry is trapped in Neverland with Peter Pan," Neal spoke, his voice betraying his fear and worry, "Who's, hands-down, the nastiest person I've ever met."

Piper frowned at that, "Why do you believe Henry is there?"

It was possible, it would explain why Emma and Gold were both in Neverland. But there was also a possibility that the portal they had used had had to take them to Neverland first. If they'd stolen Hook's boat then it was possible it could only travel to Neverland and now they were trying to find a way to the Enchanted Forest from there. But the way Neal spoke, he knew something else.

"I was in Neverland once," Neal told her, knowing that SHE would be the biggest supporter of getting to Neverland, not just for his father (something he was still trying to wrap his head around) but for Henry as well if he made her believe this was more dangerous than just them being in two different areas, "Pan was looking for a boy. A specific boy. I know he had some picture of him on a scroll. He called him the truest believer."

"Henry," Piper breathed, realizing why he'd think it was Henry. It was always Henry, he was the one that believed in the curse, the one that got Emma to believe, the one that believed Regina could be redeemed, he was the one that believed Emma about Tamara, that believed in everything so much that she could easily see how Henry WOULD be the target.

Neal nodded, "That's the only reason Emma would be in Neverland," he looked at Piper, "She wouldn't come after us. She…she probably thought I was dead cos I got shot but you? Snow and my father, probably, but Emma…she wants to be away from this place and all this magic crap as much as I do," he glanced at Mulan and Robin, "Help us look. Lots of things make portals. Beans. Magic mirrors. Ruby slippers. Some kind of ashes."

"I know," Piper murmured, shaking her head, she knew about all those portals, "But there are none like that here. When the mirror failed, Rummy smashed it. The beans were burned by the Giants because of James, any that remain are worth more than we would be able to trade them for and we do not have the time to hunt them down. The Ruby Slippers disappeared. And the ashes are in another castle. There is nothing here we can use Bae."

Neal turned to her, about to tell her to stop calling him Bae when his name was now Neal, when a noise sounded, pulling their attention to the doors where a rather tall, plump man with brown hair and a beard entered with two other men.

"What the hell was that?!" the man demanded, all three lifting weapons and aiming them at Mulan, Piper and Neal.

"Oh honestly," Piper rolled her eyes and lifted her pipe.

But Robin raised a hand to stop her, "No wait," he partially begged her, "Stand down, Little John," he ordered the men, not wanting them to endure what he was sure Piper would deal out, "We're fine."

They looked down when a small head peeked out from behind the large man, Little John, and smiled at Robin, rushing for him as he scooped the boy up.

"Who's this?" Neal eyed the boy.

"Merry man come at all sizes," Robin grinned, "This is my son. Roland."

Neal started to smile, "I know how to get to Neverland," he turned to Piper, "I know how to get to Henry."

"And I know what you are planning," she nodded, sounding like she was excitedly agreeing with him, before her expression suddenly went serious, "And I am NOT going to let you do it."

"It's the only way to get to Neverland," Neal argued.

"No, it is not," Piper crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Are you willing to risk that?" he countered, "Risk Henry?"

"Are you willing to risk another child to Pan?"

"What…what are you both going on about?" Robin frowned between them, sensing there was something more to what they were saying, that last part, about another child, was putting him on edge.

"Baelfire here, wishes to use your son to get us to Neverland," Piper told him bluntly.

"WHAT?!" Robin stepped back from Neal, clutching Roland to him, "Are you out of your mind? He's four years old!" he quickly turned and put Roland down, sending him rushing over to Little John, the men frowning at Neal but staying by the doors.

"The shadow won't touch him, I promise," Neal turned to him, "It's how Pan gets his children, how he gathers his Lost Boys, the shadow takes them from their homes and brings them to Neverland. It can do the same for us. He would just have to call the shadow here and we'd get it away from him. He would be completely safe."

"How do you know that?" Robin demanded, glaring.

"Because I've done that before," Neal explained, "It was what took me to Neverland as a kid. All Roland has to do is summon it. That's it. I'll take it from there. Piper and I will be the ones going to Neverland. Not him."

Robin scoffed, "At best, my toddler is a bait. At worst something goes wrong and a demonic shadow carries him through a portal to the nastiest person you've ever met."

"Look, Robin. I have to get there."

"I lost my wife a while back," Robin sighed, "For that we almost didn't have Roland. She was so sick. Now, she's gone. He's all I have. I can't lose him."

"So you know how I feel!" Neal argued, "I need my boy. And Emma. They're all I have."

Piper nearly rolled her eyes at that, just forget his father on top of that.

"So, because I know what it is to value family, I should risk mine?" Robin frowned.

"No," Piper cut in, "No you should not. And you will NOT," she rounded on Neal, "Because we WILL find another way to Neverland. We do not need to summon Pan's shadow to do it! I will not let you do this Bae."

"Yeah?" Neal scoffed, "And how do you propose to stop me?"

"You may be Rummy's son, but I am not above using my magic to knock you out or stop you fighting if I have to," Piper nearly snarled at him, "Henry is MY family too, I will do anything to protect him. But I will NOT allow you to use another man's son just to get back to yours! I will use my pipe and force you down, I will sway you against this if I must."

Neal scoffed at that, "Is that the sort of thing you used raising August?" he snorted, "It's no wonder he died because YOU must have been the worst monster of a mother ever."

Piper blinked, pursing her lips even, her back ramrod straight even as she stepped back as though she'd been slapped. She did her best to keep the tears out of her eyes, but judging by how instantly Neal's expression morphed to regret she was sure she'd failed. So, instead, she turned and stormed out of the room, Neal wincing as the doors slammed closed behind her.

~8~

"I didn't know this room existed," Neal remarked.

Piper closed her eyes from where she was sitting in the middle of the room she'd hidden herself away in. What Neal had said before, about August, about his fate and the way she'd raised him…it was too much to deal with. The entire situation was and she just needed a moment, just one moment where she could be alone with her thoughts to gather herself. If she stood there a moment longer she was sure she would have lashed out at Neal and, even if she had never met him before New York, he had been in her heart because of Gold from the moment they became something more than just business partners or friends. She didn't want to hurt him, that was the problem with Sirens, they could be cruel and ruthless and terrible to every other person, but their family? They'd endure any hell to keep them safe. To hurt Neal would be to hurt her family and that would kill her.

It was just hard. Because she knew Neal was right. She hadn't raised August the best, she'd been the reason he'd drifted down the path he'd taken, become wood again. If she'd done a better job, he would have been fine, he'd still be alive and her son. He was still alive, yes, but he wasn't hers anymore, he was Gepetto's. It was why she was forcing herself to keep her distance from the boy, she didn't want to screw him up a second time. Let Gepetto raise him, and if the same future awaited the boy, if he grew up the same way then that was just how he was and she wouldn't feel quite so guilty if his own father and creator raised him into the same man she had. But if he was better, if he was more resolute and sound of mind and heart and courage, then she'd be devastated to recall that he'd been given this second chance because she'd failed in his first chance, but she'd be happy he was leading a better life than the one she gave him.

She had tried, she really had and it just…all of it made her question her and Gold. They had always planned that they would find their families safe and then they would work on trying to have a family of their own. But what sort of fate would she be leading her child to if they did? The child of the Dark One would, undoubtedly, inherit some sort of darkness from him. The child of a Siren (or half-Siren) would undoubtedly inherit some darkness from her and…as much as she herself didn't care if she was a villain or if Gold was a villain or not…the thought of her child being labeled as one because of its parents? She wasn't sure she could endure that. She knew that was one part of what drove Regina to become what she was, the fairies saw her as Cora's daughter, as Gold's pupil, and abandoned her. She knew that Mary Margaret would never ever allow that to happen, if anything happened to her or Gold, Mary Margaret would fight for her child to her last breath, just like she would fight for Emma. But the thought of all that prejudice? She saw it, when people realized who August was, the confliction in their eyes, seeing the man and knowing he was Pinocchio, that he was Gepetto's son, but also that SHE had raised him. How would her child, hers and Gold's, be received? How would it be treated?

And then, to know that August was lost, and then to see Neal fully prepared to risk Roland? She didn't know the boy at all, but when she looked at anyone's son…it wasn't a shock that she wouldn't want to use the boy. She'd always had a soft spot for children, even as the epitome of the Pied Piper, she brought the children back, she always did. She understood their importance to their parents. She would, sometimes, when the villagers outside the Dark Castle grew used to her, play with some of the children there. She'd wanted a child so badly, wanted one with Gold, and they had only just been about to try when August was lost, and then Neal and she were lost and…she wanted to be a true mother, always had. So to see that little boy and to know Neal wanted to use him as bait, to risk him in something that was only partially likely to work, that could endanger him? She couldn't let it happen.

"No one did," Piper mused.

It was the music room, filled with ever sort of instrument she could have ever wanted. Rumpelstiltskin had given it to her shortly after they'd dealt with Robin Hood actually. It was magically sealed, only she or him could enter, which explained why the room still looked pristine. It could be entered after one of them was in it, she just…hadn't thought he'd come look for her.

Neal eyed her back still at him, she was sitting on a small stool in the middle of the room, a harp before her, not set up to actually play it though she was absently running her fingers along a few strings here and there, plucking them lightly. He had heard rumors and stories, when he'd been on Captain Hook's ship, been in Neverland, spoken to people in Storybrooke, like Belle, about the castle, the rooms in it. He heard more about the torture rooms from most, but Belle had described some other rooms, many of them, but never this one.

"Rummy gave it to me," Piper remarked, pulling his attention back to her, "Tried to pass it off as though it were another room for me to clean but…" she smiled, "It was mine. My room."

Neal frowned, "He never gave you a bedroom?"

"Oh he did," Piper's smile morphed more into a smirk, "But it was not used much, in favor of using Rummy's as my own."

Neal grimaced at that, realizing he should have seen that one coming. He sighed and stepped forward, moving to sit on the floor next to the harp, facing her, "I'm sorry," he offered, "For what I said about August."

"You should not be," she shrugged, her smile falling as she looked away in sadness, "It was true. August died because I failed to raise him properly."

"I shouldn't have said it like I did then," he conceded, knowing that, if she was his father's true love there was likely little chance of changing her mind about something, "I didn't mean it to come off like that. I…" he struggled to say what he was considering saying, "I almost…wish you had been my mother too."

Piper blinked and looked at him, "You do?"

"Almost," he emphasized, "August…we ran into each other a few times, kept in contact," he eyed her, "He never mentioned it to you, right?"

"No," she shook her head, "And he disappeared before I could ask him when we returned to Storybrooke. And the next time I saw him…"

He nodded, not wanting her to have to say it, "Yeah," he cut in gently, "I first met him when Emma and I were together. We ran into each other and…he knew who I was. He knew I was Baelfire, I don't know how but he did and…he told me who Emma was, what her destiny was, and that, by being with me, it was keeping her from fulfilling it. We were going to move to Florida, settle down, have a family…but Florida isn't Maine and it wasn't where her actual family was and…" he let out a long breath, "I needed her to not want anything to do with me."

"So you set her up to go to jail," she stated.

He blinked and looked at her, surprised there was no judgment in her voice for that, "Yeah."

"It makes sense, Bae," she looked at him, "The lives you two were leading, the life Emma told us she had before she was in jail. There would be little else that you could do to drive her from you but to betray her in the life you two led. Thieves escaping the law? Thieves who HAVE to rely on each other to escape it? The only way to break her trust would be to turn her into the law itself."

"Yeah," he gave a small smile at that, feeling a…weight lift off him that someone finally understood the logic of his statement, "I didn't know she was pregnant though," he added, "If I had…to hell with Maine, to hell with the curse. I thought she'd somehow make it there, I thought August would guide her there afterwards, that it would only be a little while and then I could come back and explain it. But August bailed, took some money I gave him for Emma and went off somewhere," he ran a hand down his face, "I didn't hear anything from her or August for almost ten years and by then…I knew there was no chance of forgiveness. She'd hate me for the time I waited but I had to wait to make sure she'd go to her family. It was…the most important thing to her even if she never said it. It wasn't till I got a postcard from August that the curse was broken that I even knew she'd made it there. But…Emma's not the point of this conversation."

Piper seemed amused by that, Emma had been practically all he'd spoken of, "She is not?"

"No, it was…" he sighed, "August and I kept in touch and…we talked, about a lot of things. About the Enchanted Forest, about our families, about our lives in this world. He always talked about YOU," he looked at her, "ALWAYS. Every conversation always had something to do with you, how you were his mother, how you raised him, how you were there for him and searched for Emma and me and…" he shook his head, "He loved you. He really did. You were…the best mother for him. The one that he would be proud to call that. I shouldn't have said that to you. My dad…" he let out a small scoff, "HE was a monster."

"To you?" she gave him a knowing look.

He looked away, not willing to say it out loud, not willing to acknowledge that no, his father hadn't been a monster to HIM. Never to him. He had done every single thing he could to protect him, keep him safe. He'd done everything since losing him to get back to him. It was everyone else he'd been a monster to. Everyone except the Pied Piper it appeared. But still, to say that out loud that his father hadn't been all that bad to him (because yes, he could even admit that his father 'abandoning him' to the portal to another world was an accident, that his father had been utterly terrified, he'd seen it in his eyes) meant that all the effort he'd spent to build the man up to be just that in his mind and memories would be for nothing. He needed his father to be the villain, to be the bad guy in his thoughts, because it made staying away from his papa easier.

It was getting harder though.

"I will not allow you to use Roland, Bae," Piper spoke after a long while of silence, "I will not."

"No," he agreed, "No, you're right, we shouldn't. And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry I even thought of it or brought it up. If it went wrong?" he let out a bitter laugh, "Then how is that any better than what dad did to me? If I was the cause for another man to lose his son like that?"

And it was also…if it went wrong and Roland was lost, he would have to realize that things like that, that separation of father and son, COULD be an accident. And he wasn't ready to let that go, to let go of the idea that his father hadn't ever wanted to lose him. He'd remembered it in his mind for so long, had forced the memories to the point where, if he thought back, he'd swear up and down that his father let GO of his hand…when he knew his papa had held on to the very last second, but the vortex had been too powerful, had sucked him out, out of his father's iron grip.

His father hadn't let him go, he'd been pulled away.

"We will find another way then," Piper nodded, standing up and holding a hand out to Neal to take so she could get him on his feet as well.

Neal eyed it for a moment, the hand that he was sure had just as much blood on it as his father, had done such cruel things as his father had, but…had also been the hand that August held as a child, that had been held and kissed by his father, that had a scar he knew Mary Margaret had on her palm as well. He sighed and reached out, taking Piper's hand and letting her pull him up.

If they weren't using Roland, they had work to do.

~8~

Robin, Mulan, Neal, and Piper were sitting at the long table of the main hall, books stacked on either side of them that had been pulled from the library, the four of them scouring through them, trying to find any hint of a way to make a portal to Neverland. Neal sighed and closed the book before him, half irritated and half hopeless that this was going to work. He was starting to doubt, not just finding a portal, but about what would happen if they got to Neverland. He was not, at all, ever considering abandoning Henry and not trying to get there, he was not his father, but at the same time…what would become of all of them when they got there? It wasn't like Emma would just take him back, he loved her yes, but he'd hurt her, he knew that. He'd need to fight for her, win her back, and he would, god he would. He had screwed up so much in his life, he just…he just wanted this one chance, this second chance, to be with her again.

"Perhaps we should retire for the night," Mulan spoke up, "We may have more luck in the morning after a good rest."

Robin glanced over at where Roland was sleeping on a small cot, the boy never out of his sight when sleeping, not that Roland had wanted to leave his father's side anyway. He would curl up anywhere and allow his father to carry him to bed later, "I agree," he turned back to them, starting to stand.

"I shall stay here," Piper murmured, still pouring over a book.

"You need rest," Neal argued.

"No," Piper stated.

"Piper…"

"I said no," Piper gave him a hard look.

Neal sighed, he could see the tiredness in her eyes, the exhaustion setting in, she hadn't slept at all since they'd gotten to the Enchanted Forest, but he knew why. The burning room, she didn't want to go back there, not without his father there beside her. In the world without magic, the room couldn't hurt her, but here? It could and it would.

But just as he opened his mouth to tell her that maybe there was something in the cupboard that could help her, the windows flew open with a clang. They all spun around, jumping up, to see a shadow with purple holes where the eyes were, fly in. Mulan pulled her sword, Robin grabbed his bow, as Neal ran to the side and grabbed a torch off the wall, trying to swing it at the shadow.

"NO!" Piper ran past them, moving to stand before the shadow, her back to it, her hands up at them, "Stop!"

"Move!" Neal shouted at her as Mulan and Robin both moved towards Roland to defend him, thinking that the shadow was after him, that it was Pan's shadow.

"It is not Pan!" Piper told them, making them pause, watching as the Shadow drifted down as though it were standing behind her, resting its hands on her shoulders. She smiled, "You cannot hear it…" she murmured, closing her eyes and listening.

"Hear what?" Neal asked, still eyeing the shadow warily.

"The song," she opened her eyes, "Shadows are a part of us, but not all of us," she turned around and faced the shadow as it tilted its head and reached out a hand, placing it on her cheek, "This one carries an echo of Rummy's song," she lifted her hand to place it over the shadow's on her cheek, not pressing too hard lest her hand go through its own, "This is HIS shadow."

Neal frowned, eyeing it a moment, seeing that it appeared almost tender in how it was touching Piper. He glanced at Mulan, handing her the torch as he stepped closer, hesitantly so. But the Shadow looked at him as he came up on Piper's right and reached out its left hand to place it on his shoulder even though it was clutching something in its hand. It felt like his father too.

"Papa?" he murmured, before shaking his head, "What's it doing here?"

The shadow drifted back, pulling its hand from Neal's shoulder to hold out something to Piper.

"My pipe," she breathed, taking it from him, one of the broken halves of one of her old ones, before her gaze turned to the shadow, "He sent you to us."

The shadow nodded and held out both its hands to them.

"He sent it to take us to him?" Neal glanced at Piper, hoping he was right in that guess.

"I believe so," she nodded, reaching out without a shred of hesitation, to clutch the shadow's hand, the figure turning to Neal and extending its free hand more.

Neal sighed and did hesitate a moment, the age old distrust of shadows, of Pan's shadow, of his father, flaring up, before he pushed it aside, this was his way to Henry and he was NOT going to pass it up.

He looked back at Robin and Mulan and gave them a nod, "Thank you," he told them before he gripped the Shadow's hand.

A moment later he and Piper were dangling above the floor, the Shadow turning to the window and carrying them out and into the sky, the wind whipping past them as they made it above the clouds, flying faster and faster…till it descended towards an island, towards Neverland.

But just as they reached the edge of it, another black blur shot out of the trees, racing for them, slamming into the shadow carrying them, forcing it to let them go. They toppled towards the island as Pan's shadow attacked Gold's, and landed with a huff on the sandy ground, Piper rolling over to the side from the angle she'd fallen at.

Neal groaned and slowly started to push himself up, looking around for Piper, when a rustle through the bushes caught his attention. He looked up, seeing a young boy with scars on his face and blonde hair step out.

"Felix," he glared at the boy who merely smirked in return.

"Welcome home, Baelfire," Felix grinned, "Pan will be so happy to see you."

Neal blinked when Felix suddenly pitched forward and landed with a thump on the ground, Piper behind him with a small branch in her hand, "My apologies for disappointing him then," she nearly spat out at the boy, tossing the branch aside and looking at Neal, who had his mouth open, gaping at her rather impressed, "No one harms my family Bae," she told him as explanation for her attack, before turning to look around for something, a vine or rope to bind the boy with.

Neal just blinked and felt a small tug in his chest, a small warmth that spread through him at her words, at her actions and what it meant for him and his safety, the safety of the others as well. He hadn't been lying before when he said that he almost wished he had gotten the chance to have her as his mother. It was one thing to hear her speak of how he was her true love's son, how he was the father of her 'nephew' but this? This was different, this was the first time he actually felt it and believed it.

He was a part of her family.

A/N: I am so sorry there were no chapters the last 3 days, it was a...very, very stressful time with my family that I got trapped in the middle of. I just couldn't focus on editing the chapters but things calmed down this morning and I finally was able to just sit down away from them and get it done :)

As for this chapter, I see much of the events of this episode, centered around the others on Neverland, being exactly as they happened in the show so I really wanted to focus on a step up for Piper and Neal here :) I hope you liked the shadow ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, we'll see why Charming is rather dense when it comes to Piper being someone who knows Snow/is her cousin in a future chapter ;) For the last one though, I think a tiny part is that Rumple erased his memory of what she said to him, so that moment is gone from his mind :) They never really said in the show why he took the necklace, so it could be that he had an ulterior motive or that he wanted to take something 'precious' from Snow for wasting his 'precious' time :( When I first saw the shadow, I thought it was like another magical creature (or the manifestation of nightmares) but just a really evil one that was sort of like a parasite, latching onto a host :(


	6. Home

Home

_Snow White giggled as they hid under the cloth that was draped over the two chairs, Rose Red beside her, a hand pressed to her mouth to keep her own giggling from getting out. It was rather obvious where they were despite the game they were playing with King Leopold and Queen Eva. They were supposed to hide somewhere in the castle and he would try and find them. It really was quite obvious where they were hiding…given that there were four chairs set up, two on either side of them, with a bedsheet draped over the top of the chairs, creating a small sort of tent. They had been watching the knights training before, watched them practice setting up tents earlier that day and wanted to make their own. It was a very good attempt for a 3 and 5 year old, but very obvious as, in the middle of the royal dining hall, there was nothing there but the chairs and bedsheet and the sounds of giggling coming from within. _

_The two girls had heard the sounds of footsteps outside their hiding spot ages ago, had heard the king and queen walking around, lamenting loudly about how they couldn't find the missing princesses and debating if they should send out a search party of knights to find them. Snow was quite sure that her parents knew exactly where they were, but Rose was still giggling away, under the impression that the bedsheet had to have some sort of magical powers of invisibility and magic and that the king and queen couldn't know where they were or they would have found them already. The king and queen had left, speaking about how if the princesses weren't back for dinner they would send the search out and she and Snow had agreed that, when the room was set up and her parents came in to eat, they would jump out and surprise them with the fact that they had been THERE that entire time and the royals hadn't known at all._

_But just in the middle of her latest giggle, Rose found her laughter turning into a wide yawn, her eyes scrunching as she tried to fight off sleep. The excitement and thrill was fading now and she was feeling how tired she'd been from running and hiding all day and building the fort and refusing her little nap earlier. _

_"Tired?" Snow looked at her with a little smile._

_"Nuh uh," she shook her head, pouting petulantly, not wanting to admit that she really was quite tired, even as she fought off another yawn._

_Snow smiled at her and held open her arms, "Come here Rosie," she offered the girl, her legs splayed out straight before her. _

_Rose smiled in return and crawled over to her cousin, sitting against the back of the chair, and snuggled up with her head in Snow's lap, "I like it here Frosty," she murmured as she started to drift off._

_"I like it when you come visit too," Snow told her._

_"No," Rose shook her head slightly on Snow's lap, "I like being with you," she emphasized, "It makes me happy. You're warm. And…and soft and I feel safe."_

_Snow's smile softened, "That's because we're family Rosie," she started to stroke Rose's hair._

_"I don't wanna go home later," Rose started to drift._

_"I know," Snow sighed, she always hated when her baby cousin (sister, she insisted to everyone) had to leave and go back to her own kingdom, "But I'll always be right here," she tapped Rose's chest, by her heart, "We'll always be together. And when we're together," she smiled, "We'll always be home."_

Green eyes snapped open as a soft, deep breath accompanied the action of waking from a deep dream. The owner of the eyes let out the breath, blinking rapidly as she looked around from where she was curled up, on the cold cobblestone, in an alley, next to a barrel of something that was likely rubbish minging away beside her. She closed her eyes a moment, taking a deep breath and grimacing at the stench of the rubbish. She tried to move slowly, tried to stretch out her limbs, knowing that it would hurt terribly to try and move too much given how she'd been resting and how long, the temperature was chilled around her, making her even more stiff. Her knees were curled up to her chest, her back resting on the wall behind her, tilted to the side with her arms crossed to her chest, resting her head on that very same rubbish barrel. It wasn't the most comfortable position to sleep in, she wouldn't have wanted to sleep there either save for the fact that she preferred the stone to the dirt of the forest. She wasn't much for nature, the birds and the trees and the dirt.

Her cousin had always been more for the life of nature, Snow loved the birds. But it got to be too overwhelming at times, all the sounds around her, and the dirt…she hated dirt, she hated being dirty. It was one thing to get dirty in a job, but she hated being dirty in general, in putting herself in a spot where being dirty was just a result of being there. She also…she preferred the stone, it was more soothing to her, stable and cool and strong. Trees could be cut down, stone not so much. Stone was stronger than wood, as she'd learned when those three pigs decided that it would be wonderful to try and build those rubbish houses. She had been tempted to help that wolf lure the pigs out there they were so irritating with all their squealing.

She reached up and pressed her hands to her temple, rubbing them slightly as she felt a heading coming in. She moved her hands to her stomach, to wrapping around her middle tightly, she hadn't eaten much the last few days. It appeared that quite a few places were not very…fond of her. It appeared Hamelin had done what she wanted it to, no one dared try to double cross her, but then again, no one really seemed to want to hire her to help them either now. She wasn't terribly concerned about that at first, most places would wait till the absolute last moment before they dared try and contact her and spread word that they were open to her help. She knew that it was going to be a new season soon, it would be more spring than the still chill of the late winter and that would be when the insects and rodents and every other manner of pest that could possibly bother a town would come out. It was good that Hamelin had been her last big client, their payment lasted her the winter, which was fair, she didn't go many places, so all she'd needed the coin for was room in an inn and food and that was all. She wasn't selfish and she wasn't greedy for much, she'd always been simple. She didn't see a necklace and think she had to have it, she didn't look at fine cloth and feel the need to create an extravagant gown. As long as she had her pipe, that was all she needed. But her gold had run out and she needed to save the few pieces of coin she had left for good…which was why she was sleeping out in the streets.

She shifted the small brown cloak off of her, looking at her simple gown. It was long sleeved, white though slightly gray now, and lifted the end to be able to see her boots. She would have to replace them soon, they were held together by sap and cloth tied around it and she'd need a proper set before she set off in search of other clients. But that would wait. She gently pulled her pipe out and ran a finger along it, smiling at the image of it, her pipe, her pipe that she'd gotten from Snow, the last thing she had of her cousin and her life before this.

She took a deep breath and pushed herself up, wincing not from the stiffness of her legs but the throbbing in her side. She lifted the skirt of her dress to her thigh, not worrying about prying eyes, the sun had just risen and she was in a dark enough alley. She grit her teeth as she gently touched the scars on her thigh. It still hurt, it had been seasons yet since it had happened, since she had been stabbed in the leg by men trying to take more from her than she had to offer, but it still hurt. She let her skirt drop and started to walk. She had a bit of a limp, mostly in the mornings when she wasn't used to walking for a long while, or at nights when she'd been walking too much. But it would fade soon enough, the dull pain that lingered there would disappear and she'd be fine enough.

She had only made it one step out into the main streets when she stopped dead at the sight of something tied to one of the corners of the house across the way from her.

She slowly moved towards it, not even looking to cross the small pathway, there was no chance of a carriage or horse coming at this time of day. She frowned as she took in the paper that was nailed to the wood, the sight of Snow White staring back at her in ink, a Reward notice above it, it was a Wanted poster for her cousin. Her lips pursed as she saw the reasons for it, murder of the king, and glared at it, reaching out to rip it down, crumpling it in her hand. She turned and stormed back to the alley, shoving the paper down into the furthest reaches of the rubbish barrel. She pulled her arm out and braced her hands on the edge of the barrel, her hands curling so tightly around the edges that her knuckles turned white. She closed her eyes, trying to keep her anger in.

She knew her cousin was innocent, she had BEEN there, she had heard it all, she knew what had happened. She could work it out now, now that she'd had time to go over every piece of information, every bit of it. The Genie that Leopold had rescued was thought to be the killer, the vipers he used were from his homeland. But there were outcries, from Regina, that the genie had done what he had because of Snow White, because she'd convinced him to do it. But she had been with her cousin the entire time, she had been right beside her, she never went near the Genie like that. The only one she had seen speak to him, the only one she had seen HIM interested in was Regina. Looking back on it now, she knew that Regina was unhappy with the king, looking back at how she had killed HER parents, she wouldn't put it past Regina to have done the deed or to have manipulated the Genie into doing it.

It did confuse her though, why Regina had waited so long to attack the king. She very much doubted that it was to not take away Snow's father from her at such a young age. If Regina was willing to actually murder someone, it would have been done as soon as she could not after years. Why would she endure those years with Leopold if she could have killed him before hand? It made her think there was something else, that she was waiting for something else, to get to some point before she struck. And now that she knew Regina had magic, she would have to have it to be able to rip out her father's heart like she'd seen Regina do, it made more sense. Regina had clearly been learning magic during the time at the castle, she was probably waiting till she had learned enough, till she was strong enough to attack and have her magic to help her afterwards.

But now she was targeting Snow even still, she was trying to label her as a murderer. She knew what that would mean for everyone else, treason, and treason meant that anyone who so much as helped Snow up if she fell would be executed. That was how it worked. Leopold had never ever thought that treason would be a crime in his kingdom, why would anyone want to harm the crown if they loved their king? So he'd put a small addendum to the law that those who committed treason would be executed. It was a law she knew existed in other kingdoms too, but Regina would, and was, taking it to the extreme. Usually it was someone that was actively trying to harm the ruler, like literally plotting their death or poisoning or rebellion, but Regina would take it to be anyone who gave Snow a drink of water even if they didn't know who she was.

And that would alienate Snow even more, she knew, because Snow would never want anyone to die for her, for helping her, she'd try to stay away from others but she knew it would never last. Snow was the sort that attracted people to her with her charm and goodness, that gathered loyalty wherever she went. She wouldn't be able to survive without allies.

She let go of the edge of the barrel and curled her hands into fists, bashing them against the edge, she had to focus, she had to leave this town. Now.

Because if the poster was up…then that meant that Snow had been sighted in the area, and she could NOT risk her cousin running into her. And…if the poster was up now, it meant the Black Knights were there and she couldn't risk being caught. Even just pulling that poster down was a sign of support for Snow and she'd be taken to Regina and she'd probably come to examine the prisoners and recognize her. She couldn't let that happen, she couldn't. The second that Regina got her hands on her, Snow would be doomed.

She swallowed hard and pushed herself off the barrel, heading for the main road. She pulled back quickly, ducking down into the shadows when she saw a handful of Black Knights heading her way. She closed her eyes a moment, trying to keep herself calm and still as she pressed herself into the shadows, waiting, her eyes fixed on the edge of the alley, watching and waiting. She waited a few more minutes after the knights had passed, thankfully not seeing her, before she stepped out of the alley again. She looked up and down the path before she hurried to make her way out of there. But there was posters everywhere, on every corner and she just…she couldn't stand there and see them posted everywhere and not do something. So she ripped them down, she ripped down every single one she could.

"Hey you!" a voice growled behind her.

She looked back, seeing two Black Knights just down the way, pointing at her a moment, before they started to run after her. She turned, dropping the papers she had crumpled and torn to shreds and bolted. She was close to the gates of the small city, she just had to make it out to them and then she'd be in the woods and she would at least have some more space to hide herself. Brown stood out less in the woods than in the gray of the stone city around her. She just had to get there first. It was harder, because people were starting to come out for their days now, filling the streets and opening their little shops so she had to shove quite a few out of the way but she did it. Chances were she wouldn't be coming to this city again so she didn't particularly care if any of them fell in her mad dash to escape.

But even as she reached the gates, reached the woods, she knew, by the sounds of clanging and shouting behind her, the knights had tripled and were coming for her. Even as she reached the woods, she didn't dare stop.

Too much was on the line if she did.

~8~

Hours, hours she didn't have, hours that she didn't have the strength to must endurance for had passed and Piper ran as fast and far as she could through the woods. She kept going even when the sounds of the Black Knights following her faded into silence. She just…kept running, she couldn't risk stopping, not just yet, not when it was Snow's life on the line. At this point, she really didn't care about what happened to her, she didn't care if she was killed or not, or if she died, she just didn't want to be captured, she didn't want to be used for bait and used to bring Snow White to her downfall. Anything but that.

She'd only stopped running after her legs gave out, had managed to find a small stream and a small bush that had raspberries on it in the woods. It was probably foolish, to have eaten the berries, not knowing if they were truly poisonous or really raspberries, but she truly did not care any longer, and that was worrying. She had lost everything. Her parents, her kingdom, her people, her family, every single thing in her life was gone save for Snow and her pipe. Sometimes she truly thought that it would be better if she just let herself starve to death or let herself be lynched like she knew a few towns likely wanted to do to her, Hamelin especially. But always the thought came back to her, if Snow was ever in danger, SHE had to be there to protect her and help her. She couldn't abandon Snow, even if her cousin thought her dead, she still had to be around incase she needed her.

She'd taken a short rest before pushing herself up and heading through the woods again, just trying to see if she could make it somewhere, make it to the next town. And, come nightfall, she had. It was a quaint little village, just big enough to have a tavern with a few other buildings surrounding the homes. She let a breath of relief at that, even though she wasn't a fan of taverns, they were useful in the sense that they would never kick out a patron so long as there was drink in their cup. If played the right way, one could have a warm place to stay all night if they nursed their drink the right way. She made her way for it, just needing to sit, to rest, needing something to eat as well. She could probably manage enough for a goblet of water and a piece of bread without damaging herself in the long run for her funds.

She found a small table in the corner and sat down with her bread and small slab of butter she'd been given and her large goblet of water and let out a breath of relief at that. She frowned though when she looked up to see none other than Black Knights sitting on the other side of the bar. She closed her eyes a moment, pulling her brown cloak's hood over her head, it wasn't so uncommon a sight to have someone there with their hood up and, so long as Snow White didn't come up, she was sure that the Knights would be no bother to her. Regina was really the only one of them who would know what she looked like and, as far as she was hopeful the Queen knew, she had perished in the fires that burned her kingdom down. She just had to bide her time till the men left and not make a scene.

But even as she sat there, rubbing her head, her stomach twisting from hunger, she knew that this couldn't keep happening. She was tired, so tired, and she couldn't keep fretting that she was going to be captured and killed because of Snow. She was half sure that Regina didn't believe she'd really perished and it would only be a matter of time before her face graced the wanted posters as well. She needed help, she could admit that. It was something her father had always told her to do, if she was overwhelmed, ask for help from those you trusted. It was his own dealings with her uncle that had taught her that, her uncle needed help to deal with the criminals in his kingdom, her father helped him and that way neither kingdom suffered.

The only problem was…she didn't trust anyone. There were not many people who would be willing to help the Pied Piper, and if she so much as used her magic to get others to help her, it would reveal who she was and as the Piper and people would be less inclined doubly so. On that note, there were not many people willing to go against Regina either. The Evil Queen they called her in the whispers around the villages. Oh they would band together to help Snow, that was no doubt, because she was the heir to the throne that Regina had usurped, and no one truly believed Snow capable of killing her father. They would help her in an instant. Rose Red though…well those who knew of Rose Red thought her dead, others would think her an imposter, and that left only the Pied Piper in her place and no one would help her.

She just…needed safety, she needed security, a way to be able to watch over her cousin, to be able to roam freely without fear that Regina's Knights would grab her and take her away and use her as bait. She wanted protection, as much as she was loathe to admit that, she liked to protect herself, she liked to think herself strong enough. But that was just it, wasn't it? It wasn't about strength, it was about resources and right now Regina had both the more resources and the more powerful magic. She needed a place where she could practice it, use it freely, where she could be able to focus her full attention instead of merely trying to survive.

But who could offer that?

Was there anyone like that?

"Rumpelstiltskin!" she heard a drunk man slurring at the bar, waving his arm around and sloshing his ale everywhere, "The bloody devil. The bloody monster!"

Piper frowned as she looked at the man, hearing the venom in his voice, she…hadn't given thought to that man in…quite a long time. Oh she knew the stories about him, of course she did, the Dark One, but…they didn't bring her a sense of fear like she was sure it did to others. It hadn't, ever since she was a little girl and before that. She had a…vague recollection of meeting him, like a distant memory to her, she remembered a giggle and gold, glittery skin, but she couldn't remember being scared. She actually hadn't ever been scared even hearing the tales. She found it more amusing than anything really, the way he did his deals, the creative ways he went about them. She knew, her mother had told her when she was little, that words had power to them. It came about in the songs that Sirens could sing, the words had to be careful to evict a certain emotion. But it was just the same in deals with the Dark One, she'd assume. It was a wonder why no one thought of being careful with their words when it came to them. It was the same lesson that came with Genies, words could be twisted so they had to be considered with thought first.

She held no empathy for those who fell to the Dark One's deals if they were so foolish as to offer 'anything' in payment. From what she could remember, it was THEN that most of the 'victim's' issues came about.

It was something though, to be labeled as a devil and monster was quite a privilege. She knew, she'd been labeled as a demon and an enchantress in the past for her gift of ensnaring others with her song. She'd learned not to put too much stock in the names that others gave though she would be rather curious to hear more about this man.

"What happened, Arthur?" one of the men beside him asked.

"Asked him for his help in makin' sure my crops grew and all," the man, Arthur, slurred even more, "Wanted a good harvest this year."

"He fall through?"

"No," the man sulked, "Planted and nothing grew but the tomatoes! Went back ta him inne told me that…that I shoulda been more specific bout what I wanted ta grow!"

The man beside him chuckled at that, "You still got your crop though."

"But the price man!" Arthur whined.

"What did he want from you?"

"A strand of my wife's hair," Arthur started to pout.

"Why?" the man blinked at that, swaying as he sat. Arthur mumbled something and the man frowned, "What was that?"

"'E turned her into a pig," Arthur grumbled, which sent the man into rounds of laughter, "It ain't funny!" Arthur smacked the man in the back of the head, "I didn't know it was her eh, so I sold her!" that made the man laugh faster, "To the butcher!"

"Hope you gotta pretty penny for it," the man laughed, too drunk to realize that Arthur had essentially corroborated in the murder of his wife.

Interesting, it had certain level of finesse that she greatly admired as could be seen by Hamelin. She had made it so that the entire town had not a clue that they had murdered their mayor and wouldn't realize till after it happened. It took a talent to come up with a twist to a price like that, to take the man's wife from him and not only that but make her a pig, knowing he'd send her to the butcher. She wondered if the man, Arthur, was so drunk that he realized that he was eating pork right that very moment. Irony.

"You shoulda known better though," the man continued, "The things he's done?" he let out a breath, "He's the Dark One, Arthur. Word is…he taught the Evil Queen what she knows. They're some sorta rivals now."

THAT was new.

She hadn't heard the Dark One's song while she'd been staying with Snow in her castle…but then she realized he knew she could hear it. He probably made sure to only visit when she or Snow were too far away to hear, to teach Regina magic. She tilted her head in thought of that, it wasn't a surprise to her that Regina would become a sort of rival to him now that he had fulfilled his purpose of teaching her the magic she had needed.

It was interesting though that they were rivals. It wasn't quite enemies, but it was enough of a word to give her pause, because rivals meant that they could do things that opposed the other without outright opposing them. Perhaps…perhaps she should seek the Dark One out? Perhaps he could help her?

She wasn't sure but…the more she thought about it, the more it did make a sort of sense to her. The Dark One was famous for the deals he made and she was sure, she was certain, that he had to have some clients of his own that were too difficult, too stubborn to be easily coerced into a deal of any sort with him. She loved those people, the ones that fought, the ones that offered a challenge to sway with her music. If she offered her services to him, if she offered her magic to help him sway those clients, perhaps he would agree, in return, to offer her protection against Regina. She just needed some reprieve. She was sure that she could handle living this way of life, living as a peasant and not a princess, she had done it for ages now, but…this constant threat of being found by the Black Knights or Regina, that was something no peasant besides Snow had to deal with and Snow…she had others to help her, she was sure of it.

But to go to the Dark One? Would that be a danger to Snow? If he taught Regina he HAD to know what she would be planning to use her magic for. Would it put Snow in more danger to partner up with the Dark One? Would HE try to use her as some sort of bait for a trap for Snow White too?

She sighed and rubbed her head, taking a small sip of her water, a small bite of her bread. She didn't need him, she didn't need anyone, not right now, perhaps not ever. She would try, she would try to keep going, to keep staying strong and staying alive. She would try to find a home one day, she had to believe that, one day, Regina would be usurped and Snow would be back on the throne and she could go home again. One day she'd have a home again. She wouldn't go to the Dark One. No.

She wasn't that desperate…yet.

A/N: Sorry there wasn't a chapter yesterday and that this one was so late :( I was meant to be home earlier yesterday from work when a coworker who hadn't been feeling well the day before called out ill and I had to work a double. And today I think I caught whatever she might have had lol, I was just miserable all morning before I started feeling better and I just really wanted to at least get a chapter up instead of let it go another 2 days :( Tomorrow's chapter might be a little late but hopefully not THIS late ;)

As for this chapter, I wanted to sort of look into what might have gotten Piper to think of going to the Dark One in the first place ;)

Some notes on reviews...

I probably wouldn't write a Doctor/Romana story, just because I like making OCs :)

I think that Pan's shadow has goldish/white eyes :) Oh Piper will have some thoughts on Pan's song yup ;) Regina and Piper will eventually get along, but we may not see that civility happen till the second half of the story :) I disagreed with Neal's plan VERY much, like he lost his son to Pan and he wanted to risk another person's son the same way? I was like 'No, bad Neal! Bad!' when I saw that episode :) I think August never told Piper why he didn't mention Bae because if she tried to find him, and he bolted, and disappeared, Gold might have been very unhappy to learn she lost his son like that :( I think, because he didn't know how much Gold really did love Piper, that he feared what Gold's reaction would have been if she failed to find Bae after coming that close. And also, telling Bae about the Pied Piper might make him less likely to meet her, especially if it came out that Piper was his father's true love, he might not want anything to do with her. Or it might have made Piper closer to finding Emma and if Henry never made it to Storybrooke, Emma might not have gone there or found it :( I think it was one of those tricky situations where Emma and Neal were old enough where August knew they would have issues with him or Piper coming in and wanted to spare Piper that :)

Lol, I think one day someone might just smack Charming ;) I love Roland too, he is just adorable!


	7. Nasty Habits

Nasty Habits

"You uh...do that a lot?" Neal asked as he sat beside a small campfire that he had started, eyeing Felix as he laid on the ground before him, the boy with his hands bound together, completely unconscious.

"When need calls for it, yes," Piper nodded, standing with her back to him, her eyes closed, listening, "I am more a fan of using Rummy's canes to smash Hook across the face though."

"Yeah," Neal murmured, thinking of when she'd last seen Hook in New York, she'd been ready to bash his head in with Gold's cane, "Um...what are you doing?"

"Listening."

"For what?"

"Their songs."

"Their what?" he blinked at that.

"I am part-Siren, Baelfire," she told him, "I am able to hear the songs of people's souls, when I first meet them it is stronger, but I can hear a distinct melody about people. If I focus or if it is a song that is important to me, I can concentrate and hear it."

"So you can lead us right to Emma or Henry?" Neal stared at her.

"Yes," she nodded, "They are..." her face scrunched, "Far though, nearly the other side of the island, I would wager, but Rummy...he is closer," she turned, "We should question HIM first," she nodded at Felix, coming to sit beside Neal on a log, "Best to see what he knows before bringing him anywhere near Rummy."

"We're taking him with us?" Neal frowned.

"Leverage, information, a spy," she shrugged, "He could prove useful to us and a detriment to Pan if he were to remain missing. Something tells me he is...important?" she glanced at him.

Neal sighed and nodded, "Yeah, practically his righthand man, er, boy...boy-man?"

"Lost boy?" she supplied instead.

"Yeah," he glanced at Felix again, "How are we going to get him to answer us though."

"There are quite a few ways, manipulation, magic..."

"We are NOT ripping his heart out," Neal frowned at her.

"I have only ever ripped out Hook's heart," she told him, "I am actually not much a fan of that particular method of control, I would rather control the mind than the heart," she said simply, "I meant I could use my magic to sway him."

"Sway him?" he frowned.

"It is what made me useful to your father," she mused, "I could use my music to sway the minds of others, control them, make them feel differently about other things, make them act differently. They did not call me the Pied Piper for nothing."

Neal hummed at that, "It's weird to hear you say that."

"What is?"

"Being the 'Pied Piper,'" he answered, "You know that was what Pan used to be called in Hamelin right?"

He had been there once, a long time ago, as a boy. He'd been near there with his father, had heard a music in the night and followed it, curious about it. There were a few other boys there, not many girls. He knew that the people of Hamelin had feared that some 'pied piper' had come in the middle of the night and taken all the children away, but it was a ridiculous theory, only the boys had really gone and only those that were old enough to be curious about it, to climb out of their beds. The people, he knew, had exaggerated it when they told his father about this piper person, to try and gain sympathy from the Dark One when they learned his own son had been 'taken.' It was really just a bit of fun, getting away from the adults, having fun and dancing around a fire. There was no magical lure to it, there was probably a tiny hint of magic in the music though, but not enough to do what the people were claiming. They had hoped that, by making it seem like ALL the children had been taken, that the Dark One would end the threat against them.

He had heard about a very different Pied Piper that came later, a woman, a real piper, one that actually DID have magic in the music, that HAD taken ALL the children of Hamelin, that had caused for the mayor to be killed, that had done quite a few other even worse deeds than Pan had. All that Pan really did was collect little boys, all in search of just one in particular, likely Henry. But the Pied Piper that came later...she was another kind of demon not to be crossed.

"I had heard that," she nodded, "The people seemed to be familiar with that title, it was why I was labeled that in the first place. But I doubt very much that Pan is more powerful than me, musically anyway. It was a title of fear, the Pied Piper, I merely did not argue when the people started to call me that. Fear is an effective tool."

"Yeah, tell me about it," he grumbled, thinking of his father.

"It is ironic, though, that we both attended to Hamelin," Piper mused, though the grin on her face told him that she was rather pleased that HER particular event there had scarred the people worse than the first one.

"So...what do we do with him?" Neal nodded at Felix, "Should we wake him up?"

"Allow me," she reached out and took his hands, placing them over his ears, ignoring his confused frown, until she put her fingers in her mouth and let out a quick, high pitched whistle, Neal watching as Felix jumped awake at the noise, looking around like a startled animal, "There, he is awake."

"Hello Felix," Neal greeted as the boy looked up at him, glaring.

"Feels like just yesterday it was _I_ welcoming YOU to Neverland," Felix began, "Gotta say, hoped I'd never see you again."

"Then maybe Pan shouldn't have taken my son," Neal glared back.

"Maybe you should've left well enough alone."

"I'm gonna get him back."

"You really believe that?" Felix scoffed, "You were a lost boy. You know Peter Pan's not be to trifled with. You know how long he's been searching for the heart of the truest believer. Do you really believe he'll just...give him up?"

"Maybe, if I ask nicely," Neal muttered.

"And if not, well..." Piper smirked, "I have a way with children, no matter how old they are."

"Ah, the Pied Piper," Felix eyed her, seeing the pipe in her hand, lying across her lap, "You know you're not the first to take up that title."

"I find that hardly ever matters, the first is not always the best...more often than not they are the rough draft to the masterpiece," she smirked, "For instance, Rumpelstiltskin was not the first or even the original Dark One, but he is the best."

"He certainly isn't AT his best," Felix taunted, "He's here, you know, wandering the jungle at..."

"About one and half miles west," Piper cut in, seeming more amused at his baiting than irritated or worried, "You should not have put stock in Greg and Tamara," she warned, pleased to see the look of slight shock on the boy's face for how she knew exactly where Gold was, "They have no idea the extent of my power."

"Pan's goes farther," Felix told her, "Pan never fails."

"Arrogance," Piper mused, "Quite hereditary, is it not?" she saw Felix's jaw tense at that, at what she was implying she knew, "It suits Rummy better though."

"You won't beat him," Felix remained firm, "All you are...is a cricket he'll crush beneath his boot," he told her, before turning his gaze onto Neal, "And a little lost boy all alone in the jungle."

Neal shook his head, "I'm not a boy anymore, Felix. I sure as hell ain't lost."

"Nor is he alone," Piper agreed, "I do believe there are others out there looking for Henry."

"They'll fail too," Felix spat, "Heroes," he grimaced at the mere thought of that, "They overestimate themselves."

"I do believe it is you who underestimates the villains," Piper remarked, lifting her pipe to her lips, "Shall we see what the dear boy knows Bae?"

Neal glanced at the two of them, before nodding, "Do it."

Piper smirked and lifted her pipe to her lips, watching Felix's eyes as they filled with fear, knowing that she had spoken true about one thing, her power with music was FAR more powerful than Pan's was.

~8~

Gold was sitting in a very similar position, before a fire, a small mixture of dark mud in his hands as he drew lines across his face, preparing for battle against Pan, 'Piper,' or what Pan wanted him to think was Piper, sitting beside him, watching him with a small, amused smirk.

"Readying yourself for war?" she guessed, "I must say it is very alluring, seeing you like this. Ready for battle."

"I'm always ready for a fight," he countered.

"I know," she murmured, "I love watching you fight."

"You were the only one who did," he mused, "The only to look at me and see the monster and love him regardless," he let out a breath, "I tried to hide that monster from Bae," and he really had, there had been many…urges he'd had, things he'd wanted to do that he'd refused to give into for his son, he could have been MUCH worse than he was, "And now I need the monster. It's the only way I can save him. And that's what I've decided. I'm gonna save Henry."

"I knew you would," she shrugged, not even seeming shocked by it, "Even though you know that Henry _will_ be your undoing. You would save him, just for me."

"Anything for you Pip," he stated automatically, silently cursing himself for letting that slip out, the only one he ever wanted to say that to was the REAL Piper. He glanced to the side, wanting to test what Pan thought of his plan, what Pan thought of what he'd be willing to do for Piper, for his son, for Henry, "You think I can do it?"

"I think your intentions are good. The road to hell is rather paved with them though," she sighed, "I know a lifetime of craven self-interest is a nasty habit that I never really encouraged you to break," she smiled at him, "I would rather have you with me as long as possible."

He felt himself smile at that though, that did sound like Piper, "Things are different now."

"How so?"

"I have nothing to live for now," he bit back a smirk, curious as to how Pan would play THAT one. He knew exactly who Piper would react, now it was time to see just how much Pan knew. He was starting to hope that the boy would at least try to be creative now, perhaps make this interesting, but he was getting rather bored of it all. If 'Piper' gave the wrong answer then he'd just have to reveal that he knew it was Pan's doing and that it wasn't working. He'd be alone, but at least he'd be less focused on how much he would enjoy crushing Pan's head in for daring to use Piper's image to get to him.

"You have me," Piper remarked, a frown on her face, a hurt expression in her eyes.

He nearly laughed at that, as though she would ever display that emotion to him, over something like this. They had fought too hard to be together, to protect each other, they had both given up too much for the other for them to ever react with just hurt. She would have either slapped him, shouted at him, or taken his hand and reminded him that whatever he did, they did together, live or die together.

"You're not real," he told it, growing more than irritated now, it was interesting at first, but he was starting to grow exasperated with just how little Pan seemed to think of not just him but Piper as well, "Just a vision."

"I am still here though," she argued, "I am here, in this world, you know I am still alive…searching for a way back to you."

"And even if you found one," he countered, not entirely sure if his shadow had managed to find her and bring her to Neverland just yet, it should have, it should have brought her right to him, unless it hadn't found her yet, "I wouldn't stop. My son is dead. The only way I can redeem myself to him is by saving _his_ son and giving _my_ life."

And with that, he stood and headed off into the woods, not about to spend another moment with the image that wasn't his Pip.

~8~

Gold walked through the dark jungle of Neverland, looking around, trying to sense for Pan's magic to find Henry. He stopped though when he heard a rustling of the foliage to the side and the sounds of shuffling. He turned, spotting two Lost Boys through the bushes, gathering supplies in a small camp. He turned and headed for them, not even caring that he'd be seen.

"Stop by order of Pan!" the boys turned to him as he stepped past the tree line.

Gold rolled his eyes and waved his hand at them, sending a spark of pale red magic flying at the boys and knocking them out, sending them to the ground unconscious, "I don't take orders," he muttered, stepping between them and picking up a spear, examining it before stiffening. He started to smile when he heard it, a soft whistling in the distance, a soft tune that he was very familiar with. He turned, waiting as it grew louder…until Piper stepped past the bushes and into his line of sight, wearing the same outfit he'd last seen her on, a rope in her hand that she was yanking behind her, pulling Felix out into view as well, the boy bound and gagged.

"Pip…" he breathed, knowing, just from the sight of her, that it was the REAL her, it was his Piper standing thee.

"Rummy," she smiled at him, "I brought you a gift."

THAT was ALL he needed as final confirmation that it was her, "Felix," he greeted the boy with a wide grin, moving the spear tip to the bottom of the boy's chin, lifting it up to force the boy to look at him, glare at him more like it.

"As pleasing as that might be," Piper smirked, "I meant Bae."

"What?" Gold nearly dropped the spear, looking at her, before another rustling sounded and Neal stepped past the bushes after her. Gold stood there a moment, gaping at his son before reaching out and grabbing Piper's arm, "Piper get away from him!" he cried, "He's not real, he's dead…"

"No, Rummy…" she tried to explain.

"Of course I'm real," Neal frowned, seeing his father lift the spear more, aiming it at his heart, "What the hell's going on?!"

"He's a vision," Gold glared, "Just like you were Pip. He's just Pan trying to trick us!"

"No. No, hey. Listen to me. It's me," Neal insisted, "I was shot. Ok? But I survived. See? I'm alive."

"He IS," Piper nodded, stepping slightly away from Gold, "Rummy, I tended to him with three others in the Enchanted Forest, he was badly wounded but not dead. He IS very much alive."

"He can't be," Gold breathed, not wanting it to be a trick, not wanting it to be some sort of sick joke that Pan was playing, but…his boy…his Bae was standing right there but he didn't want to get his hopes up. Piper…he knew she was real, she was real and solid and she smelled and acted and looked just like she should, he…as much as he hated to admit it…didn't know his son well enough any longer to be able to tell, "You're just here to remind me of my failure!" he cried at Neal.

Neal shook his head, "That's not why I'm here…"

"You're here to question my resolve," he muttered, "But you won't succeed. I _will_ sacrifice my life for Henry. And nothing will stand in my way!"

"Rummy," Piper reached up, cutting into his tirade with a gentle hand on his arm holding the spear, lightly pushing his hand down, "It really IS Bae. He really IS here. He came with me from the Forest, your shadow found us and brought us here."

"My shadow?" he turned to Piper.

She nodded, "I think Pan's shadow attacked it though, it dropped us on the edge of the island."

Gold looked into her eyes, searching for the truth, before seeing it in them and turning to Neal, "Bae?" he whispered, staring at the man, "Is that really you?"

"Yeah," Neal swallowed hard.

Piper smiled, seeing the look on Gold's face and took the spear from him, "Go," she nodded her head towards Neal.

Gold didn't even hesitate to hurry to his son's side and grip him in a tight hug, "I thought I'd lost you forever," he breathed as he hugged Neal even more closely, "How is it possible?"

"It's kind of a long story," Neal pulled back a bit, "Let's just say that the debt Robin Hood owes you has been paid."

"The enchantment is still holding," Piper offered, "Still blonde-haired, blue-eyed as you intended."

"You were back in the castle?" Gold turned to her.

"We were found by Aurora and Mulan once more," Piper explained, "Their prince Phillip as well. They helped me tend to Bae before we made way to the castle for any things that might have helped us return home."

"Yeah we uh, saw you in a crystal ball," Neal continued, "You and Emma in Neverland."

"And your shadow found us and brought us here," Piper nodded.

Gold let out a breath and moved over to her, hugging her tightly as well, "I'm glad you're both alright Pip."

She smiled, squeezing him back as well, "We ran into Felix," she kept on after she pulled away, "We learned quite a bit from the lad," she started smirking.

"I should wonder he sang like a bird," Gold started to smirk as well, seeing the sparkle in her eyes.

"Very much so," she laughed, "You told us everything," she glanced at Felix as the boy's eyes narrowed so much they were barely slits to see through, "Did you not, dearie?"

"Yeah, yeah," Neal rolled his eyes, "He told us where Pan's camp was, how to get in, how many Lost Boys," he shook his head, letting out an amused sort of snort, "Never knew Sirens could do that."

It had been…odd, very odd, how Piper had gotten Felix to speak. He'd expected torture, he'd expected her to really rip the boy's heart out and make him tell them all Pan's secrets. But she'd gone on a different course this time. She'd played one of the softest tunes he'd ever heard and Felix had begun to blink quite a bit, lulled it seemed, relaxing the more and more that she played. He could feel it as well, the sense of calm that came over him, the feeling that everything was alright, that it would be alright, it was minute though, because he knew that she wasn't directing her magic at him. But Felix…the boy had gone a bit drowsy and when she'd asked him about Pan…it was like floodgates had been opened and the boy spilled everything that he knew about Pan, about his whereabouts, his plans, and what was going on with Henry.

He told them everything.

They had taken Felix with them afterwards, the boy unprotesting (until the effects of the song wore off) for quite a few reasons, he was still useful to them, but also a small part being that they had no doubt that Pan would kill him for all that he'd given up. Neal had asked her why she hadn't decided to make him talk another way, and she knew he meant through torture as that was where his mind had likely gone in thinking of her and 'the Dark One.' But torture wouldn't be feasible given what Pan put the boys through. They would fight till the other bled, they would shoot arrows at each other, they were vicious and they were in constant pain and fear, masked by the freedom of being children, torture wouldn't have affected Felix nearly as much as security did. Everyone was on edge around Pan, no matter how much they appeared calm or under his spell, relief and relaxation could be even more useful in getting secrets to spill.

"And now the only thing that matters is that I help Emma save Henry," Neal looked at Gold, "Especially now that Felix told us what Pan's planning to do with him," he turned to Piper, "Where is she?"

"About three miles that way," she pointed to the north, hearing Emma's song, "However…Henry's song is actually closer."

"How did they even get separated?" Neal frowned.

"Greg and Tamara set off a bomb in Storybrooke," Gold told them, "the Queen and Emma stopped it and while they were distracted, the two stole Henry and jumped into a portal with magic bean they stole. We boarded Hook's ship to journey here," he sighed, "I left her and the rest of them aboard it to venture on my own for the boy. As noble as their intentions may be, they don't have the stomach to do what needs to be done."

"Like what you did to these boys?" Neal glanced at the two on the ground, moving closer to them and checking on them, "They're not, uh..."

"Dead?" Piper offered.

"No," Gold chuckled, "They're just sleeping. For now."

"Let's leave it that way, ok?" Neal huffed.

"The less Lost Boys to deal with the less the army of Pan will be," Piper told him wisely, glancing at Gold for that as he nodded.

"You don't have the stomach either," Gold remarked.

"I'll do what needs to be done," Neal glared, "But killing lost boys? We don't have to do that."

"Your son is quite the hero," Piper murmured to Gold.

"Where did I go wrong?" he jested, though there was a sad quality in his voice, he knew very well all the places he'd gone wrong in his time with his son.

"So I take it you have a plan?" Neal shook his head, picking up a quiver and bow from the second boy and stringing it on his back, "The whole 'sacrifice your life' thing was just you being dramatic."

"You truly do not know your father Bae," Piper sighed, "He would give his life for those he loves," Neal looked up at that, "Which is why we stay together. We watch out for one another, we keep each other safe so that never has to happen."

Neal blinked at that, clearing his throat before he looked away.

"If it's the only way," Gold swallowed, nodding solemnly, "Pan's too powerful. You can only beat him if you're willing to die, which I am."

"But you shall not come to that end," Piper touched his arm.

"What if I told you there was another way?" Neal asked hesitantly.

"I should like to know what it is," Gold admitted.

Neal nodded and stood, "Follow me," he turned and led them off.

Piper and Gold glanced at each other, starting to slowly follow, till they were at the edge of the bush, Felix tugging on his restraints but forced to come along. Gold looked at Piper, a question in his eye, as they glanced back at the two boys lying there.

Piper eyed them a moment, "I will not risk my family," before she focused on Gold, "Do it."

He grinned darkly and turned, waving his hand over the two boys, turning them to dust, before they moved and continued on their way, Felix glaring holes into their backs as they went.

~8~

"So what exactly is your plan?" Gold asked as he and Piper followed Neal along the edge of a small lake that connected to the ocean, Felix trailing behind them though it appeared that Gold was having much more fun yanking the binding attached to Felix than actually focusing on the plan.

"You know how if you hold a shell up to your ear you can hear the ocean?" Neal asked, coming to a large white conch shell in the sand.

"Some shells can call ocean creatures to you," Piper remarked, nodding along, she knew that from her mother.

"Why would we need a sea creature?" Gold frowned as Neal blew through the conch shell for a long minute, pointing to the water where something started bubbling beneath the surface, "What have you done?"

Neal quickly stood, holding out a hand, "Give me the spear," he held out his hand and Piper handed it over, watching with a frown as a large squid appeared out of the water. Neal aimed and threw the spear out into the water, the weapon attached to a rope, hitting the squid right in the middle. Neal quickly grabbed the edge of the rope, Gold thrusting Felix's restraints into Piper's hand as he moved to help his son reel the squid in towards them, both men grunting and straining to do so.

Piper tilted her head and eyed the creature, feeling as though she should probably feel more for the fact that the creature had been lured, hit, and likely died this way, being partially a creature of the sea herself, but she'd always shied away from the sea, upon her mother's request, she didn't have much of a connection to it in the sense where she felt some sort of loyalty to its creatures.

She felt even less loyalty given her last run in with the Sirens of the Sea decades ago.

"A squid?" Gold eyed it.

"That's right," Neal nodded, "I believe you know how to extract ink from one of these bad boys."

"The Squid Ink," Piper murmured, understanding what Neal's plan was, having been told how Gold had been captured in the Cinderella ruse, how the squid ink had bound his powers for a moment.

"So this is your plan?" Gold gave him an incredulous look.

"It can immobilize the most magical of creatures," Neal shrugged, "At least for a little while...even Pan."

"I have some experience with it," Gold cut in.

"Can you get it out?" Neal eyed them.

"Indeed," Gold nodded.

"However there IS the issue of getting close enough to Pan to use it," Piper remarked.

Neal sighed "I don't need to get close. All I need is one clean shot to get Henry back."

Piper started to smirk at that, glancing at Gold as a mirroring expression appeared on his face as well, "Leave that to us," she told him.

~8~

Henry Mills sat off to the side as a the Lost Boys grunted and cheered, dancing around a campfire as Peter Pan smiled on, watching them darkly. He was trying to remain strong in his belief that his mom, both of them, were there and coming to get him, his grandparents too, possibly both sides of them, the Charmings and Rumpelstiltskin himself. He knew that they would be, he KNEW it, he just…he had to believe it, he had to. Pan kept trying to tell him that they abandoned him, that they weren't coming, that they'd left him and he should give up and join the Lost Boys himself…but he refused, he kept refusing.

He blinked though, hearing a strange melody starting to play. He spun around, his gaze going to Pan who was playing his panflute, an instrument he couldn't hear for some reason that Pan seemed to see as a challenge to make him hear, only to see the boy himself appeared confused as to what music that was. Henry watched as, slowly, all the boys began to stop their dancing, growing quiet as they listened, Pan seeming to be getting angrier and angrier, seeming to play louder, but the boys just stood there…before they started swaying and fell to the ground, asleep.

Henry jumped up as there was a rustling in the bushes, and Piper stepped out, her pipe to her lips, "Piper!" he bolted for her, launching himself around her middle and squeezing, hugging her tightly as she finished her song, going only long enough for Pan to concede defeat and lower his own pipe as well.

The second her pipe was down, she put her left hand on Henry's shoulder, giving him one squeeze before lightly pushing him behind her, her eyes still on Pan.

"Impressive," Pan eyed her.

"The difference between a REAL piper is startling, is it not?" she smirked.

"I've heard a lot about you, Rose Red," Pan taunted, trying to get a rise out of her in knowing who she really was, "I must say though," his face morphed to a near-comical confused expression, "You're not quite as clever as they say if you've come here alone."

She knew as well as Henry did that Pan was baiting her, not just her but the ones lurking in the bushes, but still, it was part of THEIR plan to have Gold reveal himself, not a ploy by Pan.

"She didn't," Gold called as he stepped out with beside her.

"Ooh, the Dark One," Pan mocked, "Come to save Henry, have you, laddie? How exciting," he whispered, "The Dark One ready to sacrifice his life for his family. Speaking of family..." he grinned, "You can come out now, Baelfire."

"What?!" Henry's eyes widened, he'd believed his mothers were coming, but his father was a surprise, "Dad!" he cried as Neal stepped out just to the side of Gold, a few feet away, a crossbow in his hand, an arrow already in it and aimed at Pan.

"Name's Neal now," Neal told him, giving Henry a nod.

"New name," Pan murmured, "Seems to be a habit in the family then," he smirked, but Neal frowned at that, "Your dear old stepmum over there changed her name as well," Neal glanced at Piper for that and back to Pan, "But the same old tricks. It's heartwarming to see father and son working together, fathers and sons all reunited," he glanced between the three men before him, "Touching, it really is, especially after you abandoned him, Rumple. This is a real family reunion."

"What are you waiting for?" Gold glanced at Neal.

"I got this," Neal muttered, before firing his arrow at Pan, just as Henry shouted out to warn them that Pan would catch it instead, which the boy very much did.

"Clever," Pan scoffed, throwing the arrow down, "But we've been through this before, Baelfire. Have you remembered nothing?"

"I remember plenty," Neal smirked, "That's why I didn't coat the tip."

They watched carefully as Pan looked at his hand, seeing a black substance on his palm, before a purple energy began to flow over him from it, surrounding his body, leaving just his head free.

"Tricky, tricky," Piper murmured, glancing at Neal, "Like father, like son."

Gold felt his heart warm when, instead of denying that vehemently, Neal only gave Piper a smile in return, whatever it took to save his son.

"Come on Henry," Piper looked back down to him, "We must make haste."

"I have to wonder!" Pan called as they turned to go, Henry rushing to hug Neal as he came closer, "Are you sure you're really saving him, Bae?"

"What could be worse than leaving him here with you?" Neal glared.

"Why don't you ask your father?" Pan smirked, "Sometimes the people we should fear the most are the ones closest to us."

"Grandpa?" Henry looked up at Gold, frowning.

"What's he talking about?" Neal turned to Gold as well.

"We do not have the time to hesitate," Piper tried to remind them, "We MUST go!"

"Don't listen to him," Gold agreed, reaching out to help turn Neal to get him walking.

"You mean you haven't told him?" Pan called.

"Told me what?" Neal demanded.

"Neal now is not the time…" Piper tried again.

"Why, about the prophecy, of course," Pan laughed.

"Shut up!" Piper snapped at him.

But Neal just stepped back, away from Gold, Henry clutched to his front, not about to risk his son going near Gold now, "What prophecy? What's he mean?"

"The prophecy that says you've been tricked," Pan grinned, "Your father isn't here to rescue your son. He's here to murder him."

Piper shook her head, "Henry," she moved to stand before the boy, taking his hands despite Neal trying to tug him back, "Do you trust me?" Henry nodded instantly, "Then you trust me to say Rummy will NEVER harm you, yes?"

Henry glanced at Gold and back to her, "I know," he told her.

She smiled, "Then we must go, NOW," she gave Neal a look, "The ink will not last long, come," she took Henry's hand and hurriedly led him off, forcing Gold and Neal to follow behind her on the way.

~8~

"What the hell was he talking about?!" Neal rounded on Gold as soon as they made it back to their small makeshift site, the same site that Felix was waiting for them at, tied to a tree, still glaring at them, none of them ready to risk the boy being near them as they confronted Pan, "He said you were gonna murder Henry!"

"Dad…" Henry tried to speak.

"He plays games Bae," Gold defended, "Mind games. The important thing is we got the boy and we got away."

"But did we do so early enough?" Piper asked them.

"What?" Neal frowned, turning to her.

"What do you mean?" Henry looked at her, concerned.

Piper crouched down to talk to Henry, "Pan operates by trying to convert boys to Lost Boys," she told him, "He tries to get them to think that they are abandoned and unwanted, that HE wants them."

"I know," Henry nodded sadly, "But I didn't believe him."

"I assumed as much," she offered him a smile, "But Henry there may be seeds of doubt that he planted, small things that he was able to get inside your head about. It is a…special sort of magic, and any who can alter the mind must be very skilled."

"Is there any way to tell if he has?"

"There is," Gold nodded, "I can sense if there's any of his magic on you. I might be able to reverse it."

"Ok, then let's do it," Henry straightened.

"You shall have to be asleep to do so though," Piper warned, "The mind and spirit is easier to read when the body is at rest."

"So do it," Henry told her, "Use your magic to put me to sleep and let Grandpa's magic scan me."

Piper glanced up at Neal, knowing that even if Henry wanted this, it was up to his parent and Neal was the only one there. Neal let out a long sigh, "Do it."

Piper nodded and pulled her pipe out, Henry moving to lie down, allowing her to play a soft melody, similar to what she'd played for the boys but just for him, Neal feeling a small smile creeping up on him, an old lullaby that his father used to sing to him to help him sleep. The moment Henry was asleep, Gold moved over and ran a hand over Henry, a purple magic shimmering above the boy.

"What does that mean?" Neal asked, pacing slightly beside Henry.

"Pan managed to get to him," Gold muttered.

"Can you reverse it?"

"I can't."

"Great," he groaned.

"But _I_ might be able to," Piper offered, "Mind magic IS my specialty. I cannot be certain it will be quite as effective as it could be had he been affected by another siren, but I may be able to block what Pan did to him, perhaps keep it from digging deeper."

"It's worth a shot," Neal murmured, waving her on, pacing a little more as Piper played a soft melody just for Henry. He glanced over at Gold, crouched beside Piper and turned to him, "Alright. Explain to me what the hell Pan meant. This prophecy that he's talking about, why would he say that you'd kill Henry?"

"Oh, I don't know, to create a wedge between us," Gold rolled his eyes, standing up.

"That's not a denial," Neal sighed, "No, this has to do with what happened when Piper and I found you. You thought I was a hallucination. You said that you had to do the right thing and save Henry! What did that really mean?"

"Baelfire..."

"It's _Neal_!"

"It is BAE!" Piper huffed, ending her song for a moment, "No matter what we feel, we shall ALWAYS be who we were born as to those closest to us. Snow still calls me Rose, I call her Snow, despite the fact she is Mary Margaret now, and I am Piper. You will always be his son, Bae, you will always be Baelfire to him."

Neal let out a long breath, looking at his father. Piper glanced between the two of them a moment before getting back to her work on Henry. Neal ran a hand through his hair and faced Gold, "Just…stop dodging and tell me what's going on."

"There was a Seer," Gold began, "And she told me of a prophecy, that boy," he nodded at Henry, "Would help reunite me with you. And that boy...would be my undoing."

"Henry," Neal frowned.

"I didn't know it was gonna be my own grandson, till I found you in New York and discovered you were his father."

"You were planning on getting rid of him, whoever he was, weren't you? To try and cheat fate? To get around the prophecy? You cold-blooded son of a bitch. You were gonna kill him!"

"Yes."

"I was going to help him," Piper added, lowering her pipe, "Till we found out it was Henry," she told him, "We shall not harm him now, not ever."

"That was then," Gold agreed, "Things have changed. I... I didn't come here to Neverland to hurt Henry. I came here to save him."

"After what you just told me, I'm supposed to believe you?!" Neal shouted, "Either of you!?"

"I won't lie to you, Bae," Gold sighed, "Self-preservation has been a nasty habit I've had my whole life, but I came here to break it, to do the right thing and to save your son. Even if that meant sacrificing my own life," he stepped closer to Neal, whispering, "You have to trust me."

"How can I?" Neal shook his head, stepping back.

"Because you can trust me," Piper told him, standing and moving to Gold's side, "Henry is blood family to ALL of us and I will never allow anyone, not even Rummy, to harm one of them."

"Tell me what I have to do to gain your trust, and I will," Gold offered, still seeing the hesitation in Neal's eyes.

"Give me the Dark One's dagger," Neal stated, "I know you. I know you wouldn't come all the way to Neverland without it. It's the only thing that can control you. It's the only thing that could stop you. You wouldn't take any chances with it."

"I don't have it."

"Why you lying?"

"He is not," Piper told him, leaning over and pulling the dagger from her other boot, "Because _I_ have the dagger."

"You?" Neal gaped at her.

"I always have, since before the curse broke," she added, "Just about 30 years it has been in my possession and I shall not relinquish it to anyone, Bae, my apologies."

"You…you gave HER your dagger?" Neal gaped at his father.

"He gave me many things Bae," Piper told him, "The music room, protection, love…this was his way of giving me his trust," she held the dagger up just another second before sliding it into her boot.

"So you can use it to stop him," Neal pointed to his father.

Piper shook her head, "Yes I could," she admitted, "I have not ever used the Dagger like that though and I do not think I ever shall. Trust is a two-way street Bae. I hold this as a sign of his trust in me as well, Rummy trusts that, just because I hold the Dagger, does not mean I shall use it on him. And I have no need to use it regardless, Rummy shall not harm Henry."

Neal shook his head, trying to think of all of this, "Maybe you _do_ want to do the right thing," he conceded, "But that's today. What about tomorrow?"

"I've changed," Gold insisted.

"Have you?"

"Yes."

"The prophecy still stands. You save him, he's still your undoing."

"I'm still willing to die for him," Gold stated resolutely.

"You realize that means you lose HER right?" he jerked a thumb at Piper, "You realize that, right now, if this all works out, the only thing standing between you and your happy ending will be my son? Bet 'undoing' doesn't sound so great now does it?!"

"_Y__ou're_ my happy ending Bae," Gold stepped up to him as Piper sighed and turned to crouch beside Henry again, "You and Piper, _t__his_ right here is my happy ending, because it's my redemption. I _can_ be strong, son, if you have faith in me."

Neal stepped up to him and took his hand, "You know, when I was living here and sleeping in a cave, I used to dream of you coming to rescue me," he put his other hand to Gold's, "But then I'd wake up and remember how you left me behind. You left your own son behind for the power of that dagger. And even if you gave it to her," he glanced at Piper, stepping back from him, "I can't trust that things will ever be any different."

Gold tried to step towards him, when he found himself unable to. He looked down at his hand that Neal had been holding to see a smudge of squid ink on it, the purple energy seeping over him, freezing him, "What are you doing?" he gasped, not just from that but from seeing Neal pick up a thick branch.

Piper had just turned to see what had alarmed Gold when Neal swung down across her face, knocking her out and to the side. He tossed the branch away, seeming to hesitate, his gaze flickering to her boot where the dagger was, before he shook his head, he didn't have enough hands to take the Dagger too, and turned, picking Henry up over his shoulder, "I'm gonna find Emma and the others and get the hell off this island," he told his father, "Then I'm gonna get my family back home."

"You can't go into the jungle alone!" Gold shouted, seeing Neal turning and cutting one of the ropes binding Felix, his free hand gripping the bindings of the boy tighter, clearly intending to drag him off with him, "Without my power to protect you, Pan will capture you both!"

Neal glanced back at him, "I'm sorry, I got no choice," he couldn't even leave Felix behind, not sure what his father or Piper would do to the boy, "We're safer without you. Goodbye, papa."

And with that, Neal turned, carrying Henry off, tugging Felix along after him, leaving Gold to watch him go and struggle against the bindings to get to Piper.

~8~

"Pip…" a soft voice called as Piper slowly came around, blinking blearily to find herself on the ground, Gold leaning over her, his hand stroking her cheek to try and wake her, "Piper…" he breathed, relieved as she woke. He reached out and waved a hand over her head, healing the cut that had appeared on the side of it from where Neal had hit her.

"That...was not fun," she murmured, wincing as she put a hand to her head where she'd been healed, "Is that what others feel when I strike them?"

"I would assume so," he tried not to chuckle, "I doubt it will stop you continuing to use that method though."

She nodded, only to frown a moment later, gripping his wrist lightly as she sat up, looking at his palm where there was a smear of black ink on it, "Bae trapped you," she realized, before looking around to see Felix and Henry were both gone, "And took Henry."

"Which means Pan has them once more," Gold nodded, sorrow in his eyes.

She reached up her other hand and touched his cheek, "We will find them both again then," she promised, "I can hear all on the island, I know where they are."

"Pan will be even more prepared this time," Gold frowned, "And Bae will never help me attempt rescuing Henry again."

"My apologies," she murmured, resting her forehead to his, "Bae should have trusted you, as I do."

"You always were the only one, Pip," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"Not so," she offered a small smile as she pulled away, stroking his cheek, "Henry trusts you too."

"I can't blame Bae though," he shook his head, "After everything I've done?"

"He, despite being Henry's father, has not lived as a father," Piper tried to help explain it, "He knows not the drive of protecting family, nor the depth of desire of doing anything for another person."

As much as she was sorry to say it, Henry, unlike Emma, did not give off the air of a 'True-Love-Child,' he possessed no special magic besides being the child of representations of Light and Dark. She was sure that Pan had likely looked at Neal as being the child of the Dark One and Emma being the Savior and felt that would make Henry all the more special, and it was possible. But Neal was NOT the child of the Dark One, he was the child of the mortal Rumpelstiltskin. Henry possessed no sign of having magic like Emma did, it could be argued that Emma and Neal were not true loves. If they had been, no matter what happened, no matter what August had gotten involved in, Neal would not have EVER left Emma, he would have found a way to get her back to her family, he would have fought for her instead of running away and moving on to Tamara.

Gold had told her once, when he had been Rumpelstiltskin, when they had once spoken of Milah that he doubted he loved her that deeply, as deeply or truly as he thought he had. If he truly had loved Milah to that degree, he would never have been able to fall in love with someone else, with HER. It was the same for Neal, if he had truly loved Emma he never would have felt something enough for Tamara to propose to her.

Neal didn't know how deep those feelings could go, that need to protect your child, that need to do anything and everything you could for the person you loved. He didn't love Emma that powerfully, he loved her yes, but she doubted the true depth of that feeling in Neal. If he understood that, he'd understand that his father would not do ANYTHING to risk upsetting HER.

"He does not see who you are now, merely who you were," she finished, "He would see what you are willing to risk to save Henry. The prophecy says he is your undoing, but you are risking your life to SAVE him."

"I don't want to die Pip," he admitted to her, "I am prepared to, I will if I must, but…I don't want to," he touched her cheek, "I don't want to leave you or Bae or…or even Henry."

"Then we shall make certain that you do not," she said simply, "You told me once how you misinterpreted the Seer's words about leaving Bae fatherless. Perhaps this is the same. Undoing can mean a multitude of things Rummy. It does not HAVE to mean death."

Gold blinked at that, looking at her as though he hadn't considered that before, before grinning widely and lunging forward, pressing a firm kiss to her lips.

No, undoing didn't have to mean death at all.

~8~

In the heart of the island, Henry Mills sat to the side of a campfire, the Lost Boys dancing and cheering and grunting again as they circled the campfire. His back was to them, not seeing Pan's glaring at his back as the boy played his panflute. It appeared he would have to work twice as hard to get into Henry's head once more.

It seemed the Truest Believer couldn't hear the music that had entranced the other boys.

A/N: I apologize for no chapter yesterday, it turns out I did catch what's been going around my office :( I barely got out of bed yesterday, which is sad because it was a full day off and I wanted to use it to write and edit :( I'm still not feeling well but I refuse to allow the stories to go more than 1 day without an update, and even then I hate not posting :(

I hope you liked this chapter :) It was pretty heavy on Neal/Piper/Gold moments but I wanted to look at them all being together. They still have a lot of issues but I feel, if Emma took so long to trust Charming and Snow the way she comes to, it would take Neal MUCH longer to trust 'the Dark One' and Piper :(

Some notes on reviews...

The last chapter was before James :)

Lol, thanks! I fixed it :)

Piper's sort of hit the bottom of desperation so it'll take a lot for her to get very desperate :) She definitely didn't want to use her powers too much, mostly because she was tired and hungry and weak though, she barely escaped them on foot and stopping to use her voice or pipe when she wasn't at her best ran a bigger risk of getting caught than just running and trying to hide :)


	8. By Land or by Sea?

**A/N:** I want to apologize for the severe lack of chapters the last week :( I try my best to put up notices on tumblr if I find myself unable to post a chapter and this was such an occasion. I returned from a doctor's appointment on the 3rd to find that, despite feeling we had resolved our issues with my writings, my parents had removed my computer from my room, entirely. My tower, keyboard, monitor, mouse, printer, everything was gone. They told me it was going to be locked away for a week and I should have gotten it back on the 10th but they decided I deserved 3 extra days because my brother had a 3-day race last weekend that I didn't go to. My sister was going down the shore for the weekend and I felt I needed to stay home to feed our puppies and let them out and take care of them because it was too late to find other accommodations or sitters for them. Because I missed the race, 3 more days without the computer :( My father just returned from work a short while ago and gave me my computer back so I immediately logged on and did probably the quickest edit of my life to get the chapters up lol.

I really am very sorry for the last week :( Unfortunately, because I was unable to access the internet during that time, I've had to reschedule when my stories will be posted for this year. I'll be updating my schedule on tumbler (Upcoming Stories) and I'm so sad to say that my Lord of the Rings (Aragorn/OC) story will have to be pushed to 2015 as a result, but I'll still be posting Big Bang Theory (Sheldon/OC), Doctor Who (Time Lady 5), and Star Wars (Anakin/OC) this year. But I've got my computer back now and I'm hopeful that this won't happen again :)

~8~

By Land or by Sea?

"I still do not understand where we are going," Piper remarked as she followed Rumpelstiltskin through the forests near his castle.

She was quite sure, wherever they were trying to go, they could have just magically transported themselves, but Rumpelstiltskin was being rather secretive about it and he seemed in a lively mood as they travelled across the forest floor. He seemed in a good mood though, apparently a recent deal had gone very, VERY well and he was rather excited for the prospect of coming to collect the payment owed to him. He was in the process of biding his time and waiting for the proper time to actually pop in and demand the payment promised. He was…if she didn't know better…almost giddy, he was giggling which he seemed to do when he was rather enjoying something or eager for something to occur.

"It's a surprise Pip," he called back, still leading the way.

Wherever it was she could tell that it was important to him that they travel this way. He was a very impatient man, contrary to how long he could wait for an opportune deal to come along, for how old he was. It was mostly his nature to be patient when the need called for it though and, in instances where he didn't need to be so patient, he would be the most impatient man in the world. The things that were important to him though, the things he wanted to get right in one go, he would wait to the ends of time to ensure it went well and was planned out. For him to be taking a longer route with her, to be leading her somewhere on foot meant that he didn't want to get to the end destination too quickly, that he wanted her to truly appreciate it when the destination arrived, to build up to it.

She could indulge him this.

"You and your surprises," she felt herself smile as she moved from behind him to beside him, "Have I ever told you that I love that very much about you?"

"Love what?" he glanced at her, though his own lips were quirked in a smile as well, "That I give you surprises? Not many people are fond of them you know."

"Well, partly," she conceded, "I do very much enjoy your surprises, however I was speaking of something else."

"What?"

"No matter the surprise," she began, "Or the secrets you keep from me…you always tell me them in the end."

He'd told her a…rather large one only a few short weeks ago, about her family, about his, about the Dark Curse he had spent the last decade trying to groom Regina to cast and what it would mean for all of them. It was, quite possibly, the largest secret that he'd ever kept from her, but he HAD told her about it, and that meant everything to her, that he trusted her with the knowledge. She knew he had been concerned about her reaction, that she would turn her back on him, or that she'd leave him, that she'd run off and try to stop Regina or warn her cousin…but she hadn't. For the last few weeks she had to admit…she wondered why that was. Her cousin was the last of her family, her only living blood-family, and she wasn't even attempting to warn her cousin about what was going on. She should have, the old her would have, the old her would have probably murdered Rumpelstiltskin to keep him giving Regina the curse, but…she understood now, she understood the Dark One more than any other could claim to. She understood his desperation and efforts to return to his son, to find his family, to protect him and make amends and just…be with his son again. She understood the desire to do anything you could to keep your family safe, to protect them, to know they were having a good life.

And…she trusted him. He swore to her that her family would be alright in the end, that they'd be stronger and happier, that they'd be together once more ALL of them, her family and his. She had to believe that they would be. She had held his heart in her hands, he had held hers in his, their love was true and bottled in proof, he had done everything in his power to protect her, gone out of his way to keep her safe and happy, she…she MATTERED to him. She had to trust that he would not do something that would ultimately harm her family or harm her in the process, he had done nothing but the opposite since they'd met. She trusted that he was telling her the truth and that her family would be safer and happier in the end. She trusted him just as he trusted her, the proof of his trust in her was hidden within her boot after all.

"And I always will Pip," he nodded, promising her that, "If I lie to everyone else, it will never be to you."

"I trust you," she murmured, just wanting him to know that.

Rumpelstiltskin blinked at that, he knew she did, but hearing it out loud was another thing entirely, "Thank you," he breathed, before giggling, "But that won't get me telling you where we're going dearie."

She shook her head at that, "It was worth a try," she told him, only half joking about what she'd said, she truly DID trust him.

"Which is just as well, we are…here!" he cheered as they came up a small hill, a faint breeze drifting to them through the leaves of the trees and bushes before them. He stepped forward and pushed one of the bushes aside, allowing her to see…the ocean on the other side. It wasn't the ports or the docks but a small beach connected to the sea.

Piper stood there, not entirely sure how to feel about where they were. She knew that it was natural to assume, as she was partially a Siren of the Sea, that the sea would feel like home to her, many people who knew of her parentage had felt the same when she had been growing up. But it wasn't quite…it. She may be part-Siren, but she was part-Human too and the human side of her had spent her entire life on land, had a family that was based in the land. She didn't feel the same pull that she knew her mother had felt for the sea, her mother had left her family and clan in the oceans while HER family was all on dry land. She had never met any of her mother's family, no Sirens. Her mother had actually forbidden her from going too close to the oceans and seas and waters.

And for a good reason.

Sirens who abandoned their clans were seen as traitors, betrayers, they were to be killed on sight if they ever dared try to return. Her mother could never return to the sea from the moment she left it in choosing her father over her family. She had feared that the same fate would befall her daughter as well, that if she got too close, ventured too far out, that the Sirens would sense her heritage and attack her. She had been forbidden from going into the ocean more than just up to her knees. She knew how to swim, her mother had still wanted her to learn if she was ever in such a situation, she had learned in a small pool in the castle grounds, more like a large fountain. But she had never actually been in the sea before, not in swimming, not in boating, she had been kept well away from it. It wasn't even that she was afraid of it, she was just more…precautious than others would be. Sirens, she knew better than most, could be vicious, cruel, unforgiving creatures. For as much love as they held for their families, their enemies were quite the opposite.

She didn't want to risk finding out what the Sirens would do to her if they ever found out about her or got her in their possession. The sea was also…uncomfortable to her as well, even just standing there it made her feel off kilter. For her magic coming from the sea, it was almost like the sea had the power to cancel it out. Well, not entirely. It was odd and difficult to explain but she had noticed that, at times, she had more difficulty sensing and hearing the songs of others when they were too close to the ocean. It was like the sounds of the waves and the magic of the sea could drown out the sounds of others. She had been ON ships before, in that sense she could hear better once she had been on something solid, like a boat. But it was like the area surrounding the ocean, the edges of it, made it just a little more muddled to hear, like trying to listen to anything underwater.

She was…quite the little traitor to half her people as well, it seemed. As was typical for Sirens, she disliked fire, was terrified of it actually, even more so now that she had fallen under the sleeping curse. But equally…she disliked the sea as well, she didn't see it as her home, she didn't feel this staggering and overwhelming connection to it that she knew Sirens were meant to feel. For so much of her life she had been focused on being human, to attempt even slightly to fit in with the other children. She'd given that up and, ever since Regina attacked her kingdom, she'd focused on her Siren half, she had been…so focused on her siren magic for so long that she almost felt detached from her human half, in a way. This was like a reminder of that, how uneasy she felt by the sea, that she wasn't just a part-Siren, she really was part-human. She knew that she lost part of that, with every betrayal, with every harm she suffered, she lost that little bit of her humanity when her heart hardened. But she should probably try, even slightly, to hold on to some semblance of humanity, for Snow White's sake. If the day came where she could ever see her cousin again, see as in be with her and have her cousin aware of her, she didn't want to be a stranger to Snow. She didn't want to be something her cousin couldn't recognize or feel comfortable around. Snow was the last of her blood-family and she didn't want to push her away like that. Right now she was choosing to remain away from her cousin, to keep her safe from Regina's hunt, but one day she did hope she might be able to spend time with her cousin again. When that day came, she didn't want them to be strangers like that.

"Do you like it?" Rumpelstiltskin's voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her attention to him. He was grinning at her so widely, as though he'd come to the end of a quest and needed to see if he would be rewarded for it, if he'd brought back the right treasure. He held up a hand, a swirl of magic poofing a small basket into existence, a small picnic basket.

She would have laughed at the sight, the Dark One in all his resplendent and intimidating glory…holding a picnic basket for her.

"I have never been to the beach before," she murmured, offering him a smile as well. She didn't want to lie to him and say that she loved this, it was truly a very thoughtful gesture and rather sweet coming from the Dark One, but she also didn't want to speak the full truth and tell him that the sea made her uneasy. Being on a ship or docks was one thing, they were above the water, there was solid footing beneath her, things that others would have to climb to reach her. But a beach? There was shifting sands and it connected directly to the water.

It was that, wasn't it, the water? Sirens of the Sea, of the Lakes as well, they had water based powers as well, they had to have them to rise from the waters, to manipulate them, to walk upon them. Their songs were based in the mind, their magic tied to it, but they LIVED in the waters, the waters were a part of them. When she had been younger she'd wondered why she didn't possess the same magic as she had seen her mother perform with water, a magic that had faded the longer her mother remained on dry land. It was because, her mother had told her, they did not live in the water, it was not as much a part of them as the other Sirens for they had chosen a life on land instead. Because of that, her mother's water-magic had faded and she had never developed any of her own. Being this close to the water put her on edge, the Sirens would be able to make the waters rise or to pull her in from a deep wave and…

She cut her thoughts off, there was nothing to say that there even were any Sirens there at the moment. Yes, they were at the edge of the sea but there was nothing that said that the Sirens had come so close to land that they would know she was there. Nothing at all. It would be best to just enjoy the picnic that Rumpelstiltskin had planned.

She felt herself grin at that. Who would have thought the words Rumpelstiltskin and Picnic would be used in the same sentence.

"Thank you," she turned to Rumpelstiltskin again.

He giggled and took her hand, the two of them heading down the small sandy hill and to the middle of the beach. She watched as he poofed a blanket down on the sand for them, a small tent, like a canopy being set up above the blanket to keep the strongest rays of the sun away, and sat beside him. The blanket had been set up just at the top of a small decline that led to the sea, the waves coming in a few feet away from their feet. It was low tide she could tell and that was reassuring, it helped keep her thoughts from drifting too much to the sea, she doubted they'd be there long enough for it to turn to high tide. And she could tell Rumpelstiltskin wasn't the sort to want to go swimming or get too wet so he'd probably wish them to leave by then as well.

This…wasn't quite what she was sure he'd wish to do with his time, have a picnic at the beach. If anything, if he truly desired a picnic, it would have been in the forest or courtyard of his castle, not the beach. It was just…a very odd picture, him sitting there in all his regalia but with the sand and sea are blowing around him. She knew he was only doing this because he thought she would enjoy it, it was best to not let him think his plannings and hopes were in vain. She did like it, in a way, she enjoyed any time she got to spend with him and to have him put this effort into trying to do something for her, well she wouldn't lie and say she wasn't touched by it.

She would enjoy this, she knew, she'd enjoy just being there with him even if she wasn't quite so keen about WHERE they were. So she turned and opened the picnic basket, curious to see what he'd brought for them.

~8~

Piper coughed violently as she landed on the cold, wet rocks, her entire body shaking from the chill of the water, her lungs protesting the lack of air and water she'd swallowed. That had NOT been a fun trip at all.

She should have seen it though, she should have noticed that the water on the beach, instead of gently lapping towards her and Rumpelstiltskin was not lapping any longer but had been merely steadily rising up and up and up towards their legs. But she had been distracted by him, they had been discussing their stories, how they first became the people they were, when she'd felt something suddenly grab her leg and was pulled right out of his hold and into the water. She hadn't seen that the sea had risen, that her boots were just barely in the edge of the water until a hand had grabbed her leg and pulled her into the water. It had dragged her down and down and down and she'd been struggling to get away from its grip. She'd barely managed to take a mouthful of air before she'd been pulled under, but it wasn't enough. She'd been forced to open her mouth and…had been surprised that she could breathe, even under the water, she was breathing.

It hurt now though, now that she was in a small underwater cavern, to breathe the air. It was like the water hadn't been converted to air inside her, but she'd been breathing the air that existed in it. It still meant there was water getting into her though and now she was trying to cough it all up. The cavern was like a small pocket of air though, actual air with water pooled around her waist, rocks scattered everywhere and along the edge of the cavern.

"We have been waiting for you a very long time," a sultry voice spoke from above her, or what she was sure was meant to be sultry but right now she could hardly hear anything over the sounds of her violent coughing.

Her hands curled into fists as she tried to get the last of the water that was choking her out of her, gasping for breath, feeling tears in her eyes as she managed to look up and see where she was, who had taken her.

Sirens.

There were three Sirens before her, Sirens of the Sea she could tell. They all shared the same pale hair, dark eyes, pale skin, staring at her with their clothes that appeared made of fishing nets and seaweed and shells of all sorts. She let out a shuddering breath and forced herself to stand on the small rock she'd been dragged up on top of. She could see one of the Sirens pulling themselves up beside the other two, clearly the one that had taken her from Rumpelstiltskin. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her shaking down, trying to play it off as more a chill from the frigid water than that she was truly frightened of being there.

Her mother had warned her of this, THIS had been what she had been so worried would happen if she got too close to the sea. The Sirens were unforgiving, and they would want retribution on her mother through her daughter. She had suspected how she'd gotten there, she and her mother had discovered a small useful part of information when she'd been younger, when her mother had been more closely tied to the sea. When a Siren held her, took her underwater, she could breathe as though she were a Siren or Mermaid or underwater creature. She'd thought that it had faded over time, as her mother became less of the sea she'd been unable to breathe underwater while her mother held her hand. She'd thought it was just a trait she'd grown out of, but it appeared it was just her mother's magic that had faded with time.

She swallowed hard, panting as she looked around at the three Sirens, "What do you want with me?" she asked, trying to remain firm, trying not to show any sort of fear or back down from them.

Sirens were not much for emotion, often appearing as harsh and unfeeling as the sea to outsiders, if she wanted even a chance of escaping this alive, she would have to appear as much like them as she could muster, appearing as cold and aloof as they were. Her hand immediately flew to her neck at the thought of escape and it took all she had not to let out a visible sigh of relief at feeling the small purple powder in the small vial still on her necklace. She would have a way to get to Rumpelstiltskin right now if she chose to, but…she wanted to know what the Sirens wanted. Surely if they meant to kill her she would be dead already, there would be no reason to keep her alive, to bring her there.

There had to be something else going on.

The Siren in the middle looked at her intently, studying her with a critical eye, "I see the features of my niece in you."

Piper's eyes narrowed at the middle Siren, realizing she must have been her mother's aunt from that remark, she looked younger than her mother had, but then again, Sirens were meant to have longevity. Her mother had relinquished that to tie her heart and life to her father's, she had become more mortal as a result.

She said nothing though, not about to risk saying something to incite the Sirens. At the moment the woman who had been her mother's aunt didn't appear about to avenge the betrayal her mother had put upon her family, but she didn't want to say anything that would change that. She needed to know what they wanted from her.

"Yet you look more like us than the landwalkers," the third Siren, the one that had taken her, spoke, "Interesting."

"You hold yourself like us," the second agreed, "You appear as though one of us…yet you are not."

Piper bit her tongue to not remind them she was only half them, to do so, she was sure, would mean reminding them that her mother had turned her back on them and chosen a human, a landwalker, over them.

"But you are so like the landwalkers," the middle siren sighed, "A waste of our magic, of our legacy. Halfbreeds," she sneered that last word, eyeing her even more critically.

"Then why bring me here?" Piper challenged, "If I am so deplorable, why not cleanse the lineage?"

That was…NOT what she should have said, she realized, to nearly challenge them to try it, to try and harm her or end her. Not quite her most shining moment, but she had to admit that she WAS curious. Why, if they were so against her existence, did they not just kill her or drown her on the way down? Surely they could control their magic, they could MAKE her drown, could have let her go or tied rocks to her or anything…yet she was here, standing before them.

"My niece…" the middle Siren began, making Piper eye her this time, she continued to call her mother 'niece' yet it should be within a Siren's culture to cast someone like her mother out, to not consider them family ever again. Perhaps the bonds of family were stronger than she imagined, her mother never really spoke much of what it meant to leave the Sirens, "She is dead, is she not?"

Piper's lips pursed, "She is."

The three Sirens closed their eyes and bowed their heads a moment, their hands clasped before themselves in what appeared to be silent mourning, before the middle Siren looked up once more, "Then her soul has returned to the sea."

"The sea welcomes her home," the two other Sirens murmured.

Piper looked between them, unfamiliar with this custom or belief. Her mother truly had tried to forget all about the life she was leaving behind. She had only truly imparted knowledge to HER when it was needed, when she was encountering something that could only be explained by being part Siren, other than that she knew her mother tried not to speak of it much. It…hurt her too much to think of the family that would never accept her back, unless in death it seemed.

"If you have her soul, what need have you with me?" Piper asked, not entirely sure what this meant now.

"As she was given a choice, so now must you," the middle Siren explained, staring her down, "We have been waiting a very long time to acquire you."

Piper's lips pursed more at that term, 'acquire' like she was some prize or possession to be taken, "And what choice is this?"

"You may…remain," she spoke, though Piper could see how the two other Sirens glanced at the middle one in unease, clearly this offer was not one that would be widely accepted.

"Remain?" Piper shook her head, "What, here?"

"Yes," the middle Siren lifted her chin, "Your mother has returned to us, and so may you."

"And if she had not returned, you would kill me."

"Yes."

It wasn't a question, it wasn't one that needed an answer, yet she'd gotten one regardless.

"You remain here," the Siren gestured around, "Become one of us."

Piper squared her shoulders at that, understanding what that meant. It was just like with her mother, the more time she spent away from the sea, the more she became like a mortal on land, lost her water-based powers, lost what made her a Siren. If her mother had been able to return without pain of death, she would have been able to become more Siren-like once more, the more she was in the sea, the longer she was in it, the more like a Siren she'd be. It was the same with HER, it appeared, or at least the Sirens seemed to think so. If she stayed there, she would eventually become more and more Siren-like, more so than she already was.

She closed her eyes at that, realizing that it was just like she'd realized at the beach's edge. She had spent so much time trying to be human-like, then lost parts of her humanity to become more Siren-like…something she had only just resolved not to let herself succumb to. She didn't want to be entirely Siren, she didn't want to be entirely human either, she wanted to be both, whatever strengths and weaknesses would come from it. She didn't want to lose that part of her that was her father, that was her cousin, her humanity, she didn't want to be like the women before her. She was half human, she would never be full-Siren, she didn't want to be either.

"My life is on land," Piper stated, opening her eyes.

"Your family is in the sea," the Siren argued.

"You just admitted that, had my mother not passed, you would kill me," Piper narrowed her eyes, her hand curling around the vial at her neck more tightly, "That is not family. That is not MY family. My family, my life, my love, are on land and THAT is where I shall remain."

"You would turn your back on us?" the third Siren hissed, starting to glare at her.

"Just like your ungrateful mother!" the second sneered.

But the middle Siren held up her hand, "You have made your choice."

Again, it wasn't a question, not one that needed an answer for the answer was all too clear, but Piper nodded anyway, "I have. And it will never be YOU."

She knew that last dig would be the one that did it, that pushed the Sirens over the edge. Just standing before them, she knew, was already clawing at them, at their patience with her, they wanted her there no more than she wanted to be there and she knew that last remark, the true and utter denial of that half of her family would be the last straw. But she wanted to be clear, she wanted them to never attempt this again, this was NOT her home nor were they her family.

So she grabbed the vial and pulled it off the chain, smashing it on the rocks below her as the Sirens lunged at her, hissing, but she disappeared in a swirl of purple before they could reach her, appearing back on the beach, just behind Rumpelstiltskin who was hurling fireballs at the sea only for them to bounce off what appeared to be a blue wall of energy that sprang up when the fireballs connected to it.

"You give her BACK to me!" he was snarling at the sea as he hurled ball after ball at it, the collective Siren magic, the age old magic of the sea, holding him back for the moment.

"Rummy," she called and he spun around, was at her side in an instant, the moment he saw her standing there.

"Pip," he breathed, holding her tightly to him as she returned the embrace just as tight. He gripped her even closer when he felt her shaking against him, something he knew she wouldn't want commentary on or to be asked about, whatever the Sirens had done had shaken her.

"I want to go home," she murmured against him.

He nodded, not even bothering to gather their supplies or objects, just waving his hand and allowing them to disappear in a swirl of magic, taking them back to the Dark Castle. He could guess what had happened, why the Sirens would want her, why she would still be alive and why they hadn't killed her outright. And the fact that she had said home, their home, THIS home, on land…with him…he just held her closer as they appeared in their bedroom, thanking the gods and all the magic in the world that Piper had chosen him, chosen to stay.

…and if he vowed to spend the rest of his life studying Sirens and how to counter their magic (perhaps kill them) well, that would only be fair.

They DID try to take his true love from him, he would take their lives from them if he had to, if it was to protect her, anything to protect Piper.

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter :) I wanted to explore the sort of Siren-half of Piper's heritage and show just how important Snow and Rumple are to Piper, that she would give up her mother's half of the family to stay on land with them :')

Again, I am SO sorry there were no chapters :'( But I'm back now, I'm definitely back ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh Piper will be quite vocal when she sees Neal again about what he did ;) I kind of like how Piper's a little hypocritical, because I think we all are in a way and it's a fault for all of us. She'll have no issue smacking other people with things to knock them out, but if they do the same to her she has a problem with it. It's sort of like people (like my dad lol) who can joke around with other people and play tricks on them, but the second you do it to them they flip out ;)

I really do love the idea of Neal and Emma together (I can say that my Hook/OC will see SwanFire as a result ;)) I feel like, if they'd had time to get to Tallahassee, and to just grow as people together instead of thieves together, they'd be magical :) I think Neal has trouble trusting Piper because children freely give their trust, or at least more than adults do, and he knows Piper more as Snow's cousin where all Neal sees her as is the Dark One's true love :( I think Neal was shocked because his father wouldn't give up his magic for his own son, to see him giving the dagger to someone and it meaning that they have complete control over him and his magic is more than he can comprehend. Like it's one thing if it's your son, it's another that a strange woman he's only met a few days ago had that same trust. Neal has only known her a few weeks, his father has for decades, I think he just needs a little more time with Piper ;)

That's cool :) I mostly feel Rumbelle aren't true loves due to the nature of their relationship. Like, Gold was rather abusive to Belle at first and later lies all the time to her and he only acts 'good' when he's forced to upon threat from Belle. Belle is too...soft(? if that's the right word) as in she tries to discipline him but flip flops and instantly forgives him. She doesn't hold firm to her convictions when it comes to Gold and I feel like she's trying to change him more than accept him for who he is like...she guilts him and threatens to leave him if he doesn't 'change' or 'do good' and that doesn't really scream true love to me, Gold strikes me as more indulging Belle and making her believe he's trying when he really doesn't care. Like I look at Robin and Regina, he accepts her darkness and he doesn't actively try to change who she is :) As for Neal and Emma, I think they could have been true love if they had been together longer, if they had been able to bond more and really settle down in Tallahassee. I feel like, if Neal truly did love Emma, he would have fought for her, he would have sucked up his dislike of his father and gone _with_ Emma to break the curse, he would have stood by her side. Who better to get her to believe than Baelfire? :) I feel like he gave her up too easily, he even said if he knew she was ok he'd be able to move on from her which doesn't strike me as true love, when you look at something like Snowing and how they fought for each other and how neither could move on from the other (going so far as to break their heart in half to stay with them). In terms of the examples of true love in the show, like with Snowing and even Phillip/Aurora, I don't see the same signs of true love in Rumbelle and SwanFire as I do when I think of how true love is represented as being :) I get the struggling and mistakes, definitely, but I feel ike if they really had true love their reactions to the struggles and mistakes would have been different and proven their true love ;) If Rumple truly loved Belle, he'd have allowed her attempt at True Love's Kiss to break his Dark One curse, but it's sort of my own little opinion that you can truly love someone even if they don't love you back, so, in that sense, TLK could work even if Rumple didn't love Belle back as long as she felt true love for him :)

I've actually got it up on my profile that I do plan to do an Arrow (Oliver/OC) story ;) It's definitely a future story, I just can't say when exactly, but it WILL be coming ;)


	9. Good Form

Good Form

Hook sat to the side, watching as the Charming family sat around a campfire, Regina among them, all working on creating rope. It had been…a hell of a time getting to this point in Neverland. They had been trying to find Pan's camp, but the lad kept moving it whenever they got closer. All their attempts to find it and get there via magic had failed them as well. They'd managed to find another ally though, Tinkerbelle, a fairy who had been stripped of her wings by, not quite surprisingly, trying to help Regina in the past. Apparently the fairy had met Regina shortly after her marriage to Snow White's father and led her with pixie dust to find her soulmate, a man with a lion tattoo. He was quite sure he was the only one besides Regina and Tinkerbelle that knew that story however, he had met Tink many years ago and had gotten her rather drunk one night, the fairy needing some sort of help dealing with all that happened to her. They'd had a brief dalliance but he'd gotten her tale from her in her drunken slurrings, gotten the whole story out of her, about how she'd led Regina to a tavern, to the man with the tattoo on his wrist, neither of them seeing his face, how Regina hadn't gone in and how Tink had lost her wings for stealing the dust to help her in the first place. He had been surprised that Tink had agreed to help them after she'd seen Regina was with them, had been surprised Regina was still alive as Tink had been rather furious with the woman.

He'd kept that little tidbit of information about Regina's potential soulmate to himself though, best keep his cards close to his chest in that regard.

But, for every success, there was a setback. Not only had Tink refused to help till they had an escape plan, the starmap they'd found in Baelfire's small dwellings had been encoded so that they couldn't read it or work out how he'd escaped the island. Neal, being the only one to escape without Pan's permission, was their only hope and they couldn't decode his map. On top of that the prince, David, Charming, whatever his name was, had gotten nicked by an arrow when Pan had attacked them earlier, had gotten poisoned by the dreamshade he'd warned them all about. The poison was spreading and quickly, the conditions of the island weren't helping him any. It was too warm, they weren't stopping or resting, they'd hardly eaten, it would be days at the absolute best that the man would have but, given how much he was sweating and struggling, he could tell that time had been significantly reduced. It wouldn't be much longer before the prince died and he knew that the women he was with (save perhaps Regina) wouldn't be sound of mind if they suffered a death before facing Pan. Emma, especially, would be even more closed off if she had to suffer losing her father in order to save her son.

Speaking of trying to save her son, Emma was more determined than ever at the moment to find Henry or to, at the very least, get a message to him. Seeing the small dwellings Neal had made for himself as he lived on the island, seeing a small mess of tallies that the boy had kept on the walls to count down the days had triggered something in Emma. She had done the same, it appeared, keep track of the days till it seemed pointless to do so. It had made her think that Neal had given up hope, had made her think that her son was giving up hope as well, that every day that he was alone was another day that he felt that he was alone and it was another day that he grew closer to becoming a Lost Boy. He had to admit…she was likely right to fear that.

But therein lied the issue, Emma needed to give her son hope, needed to give him some sort of contact…but her father needed help as well. He'd been trying to get the man to admit that he was dying, to tell his wife and daughter, to say good bye…but he was stubborn and he refused to acknowledge the true magnitude of the situation. He wouldn't say a word to his wife or daughter…and HE was the only one that knew about the man's plight. Quite a…conundrum, wasn't it. On one hand…he could help the man, he knew of a cure, he knew where to get it and he was mostly certain that he could trick the prince into obtaining it with him. On the other hand, the prince was a rather large obstacle in the way of his efforts to get closer to Emma. Literally. The man refused to leave Emma alone anywhere in the vicinity of himself, he constantly put him down for being 'nothing but a pirate' when he had it on good authority that the man was originally 'nothing but a shepherd' yet married a princess. He was sure that the man was going out of his way to keep Emma from him due to the dreamshade, he would have to put nearly 30 years of missed parenting and protection into what little time he had left.

But…if he didn't save the prince and Emma found out he'd had a way all along, something he was sure Pan would take a great deal of pleasure in revealing after the death, his chances with her would be completely nonexistent...as would his chances of surviving the wrath of Snow White should her husband and true love die.

To be of help…or not to be of help, that was the question.

"A trap?" Regina scoffed as she watched the others working, "That's your plan?"

"The Lost Boys wanna come after us," Mary Margaret nodded, "We need to go after them."

"You really think a Lost Boy is gonna betray Pan?" Hook gave them a look, his attention pulled to the small family.

"Thanks for the advice," Mary Margaret muttered, "David?" she looked up as her husband approached with his finished ropes.

"Yeah?" he glanced at her.

"We need more vines."

"On it," he nodded, turning to head back into the jungle around them, passing Hook with a, "You're coming with me, pirate," as he went.

"Why is that?" Hook challenged.

"Because we need more rope," Emma stated, no nonsense in her voice.

Hook gave her a look but held out his hands as though mock-bowing to her, "If the lady insists," he muttered, getting up to join David, glancing back at Emma once more before he disappeared through the leaves.

"I know we're after Henry," Mary Margaret murmured, "But times like these…I wish we'd gotten Rose first."

"Why?" Regina huffed, "What good would she be? She'd probably have gone off with Gold the second he disappeared anyway."

"I just…I feel better when she's around," Mary Margaret admitted.

She wouldn't say it aloud, but…her cousin had been right. She…couldn't do what was needed, at times, there were things she still would never resort to and Piper had been right to say that. Piper had sworn to her that she would always be there, to do what she couldn't, to do what she never wanted Snow White to do. Neverland…it was testing all of them. On that ship, when the mermaid had been there, all she could think was that if Piper had been there, it might have gone smoother. Even though she knew that it was less than likely, mermaids and sirens were rather close in species, the mermaids would have likely tried to kill them even more if Piper had been there with them. But still…she had magic, she had a different sort of magic than Regina.

"She could have used her music to find Henry, to…to stop the Lost Boys, or…just anything," she added, "I just…I wish I knew she was ok."

It was hard, to admit that she was slightly more worried for Piper than Henry. She knew in her heart and soul that Piper would be ok, she was a tough girl who had survived worse than most and she wouldn't let something like a portal take her down. Piper would be fine, Henry was young and was being manipulated as they spoke and she knew she should worry more for Henry but…it was…different. For Emma and Regina, they had both been mother to Henry, he was their son, their closest relation. All her life, she'd only really had Piper with her, Piper had been there from the start and even when she'd thought her cousin dead, she had always, always been there in her heart and now she knew she'd always been looking after her from a distance as well. Henry was her grandson, yes, but Piper was her cousin, her sister. She would be as worried for Emma as she knew Emma was for Henry, Emma was her daughter, but it was so hard. Because she'd only just gotten her daughter back, only spent months at most with her. Yes she'd been with Henry for his entire life, but as his teacher, only as his grandmother a shorter while. Piper had always been her cousin and…she did worry for her.

She missed her and she just wanted her cousin there with her, because she knew that Gold never would have gone off on his own if Piper had been there, Piper would have stayed with them and Gold would have too.

"Yeah well, she's not here," Emma swallowed hard, making Mary Margaret wince, knowing that Emma was thinking of how she'd lost Neal and Piper by jumping after Neal, "So we need to keep in mind the advantages and assets we DO have."

Mary Margaret nodded, "You're right," she said quietly, "You're right."

~8~

Emma crouched low in the bushes of Neverland, glancing at Regina, across the way, hiding behind a tree, and over to Mary Margaret who had her bow and arrow drawn and ready and aimed at a small pig on the other end of a small clearing. It was part of the plan, they'd lured the pig there with food and were just waiting for a Lost Boy to come and hunt it and then they'd spring their trap.

But…as much as she knew this was important, she couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right. Hook and David weren't there and while she was not (most certainly NOT) thinking about how Hook wasn't there, she was thinking about why David wasn't. Hook and David had come back from gathering vines to make ropes with a leather strap of some sort. Apparently it belonged to Hook's brother from the last time they'd been on the island, it was a strap to a container that had a sextant in it, a device to read the stars and help navigate. According to Hook, if the strap survived, perhaps the sextant had as well and if they could get it, then they might be able to decode Neal's star map. She'd been about to suggest they all go get it, but Hook told her that she and the others should work on getting that message to Henry while he and David went after the sextant instead.

That wasn't really surprising, she half assumed that Hook would want to go off on his own at some point, that he'd just leave them to fend for themselves. What DID surprise her was that David had agreed to go and then…the way he'd parted with them? It was odd. He'd given her the tightest hug of her life, had told her to tell Henry that he loved him, and then he'd hugged and kissed Mary Margaret like it would be the last time he'd ever see her. He tried to brush it off that Neverland was dangerous, that the Lost Boys might attack and that something could happen…it sounded far too much like he was actually saying goodbye, like he was going to his death but, well, perhaps she'd inherited something of her mother's optimism because she couldn't bring herself to think that was actually what was happening. Her father would be fine, he had to be, for Henry's sake of course, for Henry.

Her attention snapped to the side when she heard the bow release and saw an arrow fly to the tree above the pig, a Lost Boy standing right under a net that they'd rigged up that was falling down on him right that moment, a spear falling out of his hand as he fell to the ground. She and Regina ran forward, Mary Margaret joining them, surrounding the boy as he struggled with the net.

"What are you doing?!" the boy demanded, finally getting the net off him as it wasn't really designed to trap him but more slow him enough for them to get around him. He was young, with a mop of brown hair, and a cut on his cheek, a fresh one, seeming to have only just stopped bleeding a short while ago and looking very painful, "Are you trying to start a war with Pan?"

"Pan started the war when he kidnapped my son," Emma countered, a sword in her hand pointed at the boy.

"But that doesn't make you our enemy," Regina added, smiling at the boy as he stood, opening her palm with a candy bar now resting on it, poofed in by magic.

"What's that?" the boy eyed it suspiciously.

"Chocolate. I thought you might like the taste of something sweet."

"We don't wanna hurt you," Emma added, knowing that there was a chance the boy might not even know what chocolate was, "We just need you to deliver a message to Henry."

"Why should I help you?" the boy scoffed.

"Because you had a home and a family once and you stopped believing you could get back to them," she stated, "Now we're here. We can help not just Henry, all of you. We can get you home."

The boy looked between them, Regina smiling and offering him the chocolate again. He stepped closer, reached out to take it and sniffed it deeply, actually seeming as though he would listen…before he turned and threw the bar away, glaring at them, "Don't you get it? I'm here because I don't want to go home. None of us do!"

"Pan's a monster," Emma shook her head, "Look what he did to you," she gestured her sword at his face.

"Oh, Pan didn't do that," the boy smirked, seeming FAR too pleased to be able to share that, "Henry did."

"You're lying," Emma glared, her gut tugging in a silent prayer that he really WAS lying and that it wasn't just what she wanted to believe.

"Of course he is," a voice said behind them, nearly making them all jump.

"Rose?" Mary Margaret breathed, seeing Piper standing there just behind her, dressed in…rather Enchanted Forest like clothing, a dark cloak around her.

"Snow," Piper greeted with a small smile, stepping closer as her gaze fixed on the boy, "It was not Henry that gave you that scar," she stated, "My magic is protecting Henry and you know that, it has been ever since we got him out of your camp."

"Wait what?" Emma shook her head, "You met Henry already? You found him?" she wanted so badly to ask about Neal, where he...where his body was buried, but she just...she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to even speak his name, not knowing that Piper was the last person with him when he died. She just...she had to focus on Henry right now and ONLY Henry, she could ask about Neal later, she just...she couldn't do it now.

Piper nodded, though Mary Margaret was frowning, eyeing her intently, "Rumple and I found him," Mary Margaret glanced at Emma for that, seeing that Emma appeared to be equally as suspicious now, Piper NEVER called Gold 'Rumple' she always called him 'Rummy,' but…whoever this was, because it was clearly NOT Piper, knew something, and appeared to be on their side, for now at least, "But Pan got him back, not before I was able to use my magic to undo what Pan had done. It is protecting him even now, keeping Pan from sinking his claws into Henry," she glanced at Emma, "It will not last for long though. I may be strong, but Pan is stronger."

Mary Margaret shifted at that, it didn't make sense. For her to even be able to undo Pan's magic had to mean she was stronger than Pan was, yet this thing that looked like her cousin was calling Pan more powerful. Piper wouldn't admit to that, not that easily, not ever out loud nor before Regina.

"How did you even get here?" Regina asked the question they were all thinking.

"A shadow," Piper smirked, "Pan is very fond of using them. I believe he wished to use me as even more leverage against you Snow," she looked at Mary Margaret, "But he failed, I escaped, I have been following your songs till I could find you again."

And THAT was all Mary Margaret needed to know to be certain this was NOT her cousin. Because Piper she would have gone for Henry first, she would have kept going for him, she would not have given up and sought HER out if Henry was in danger. She would have been able to tell they were all together and safe, but that Henry wasn't. She wouldn't have done this, Piper would focus on Henry first.

Whoever and whatever this was before them, it wasn't her cousin.

~8~

Hook stood at the top of a peak in the island, where he knew a small stream that had healing properties rested just a few more feet above them. He had been there with his brother once before, his brother had succumbed to the dreamshade as well to prove an ill-made point. Peter Pan had appeared then, when his brother had been dying and had shown him the waters, told him that it would cure his brother of the poison, but for a price. He'd said he'd pay it, thinking that it was coin the boy had wanted, he hadn't understood despite the fact that they had gotten there in a flying ship, that magic came with an even greater price than that. Now he just had to get the prince up there as well and so he was tugging at the rope that David was climbing, trying to help pull him up.

"Don't pull him up yet," the voice of Peter Pan spoke from behind him and, just like with his brother, the boy appeared, "I wanna talk. Alone."

"What do you want?" Hook huffed, turning to face him, knowing better than to try and keep pulling David up when Pan made such an order. If he tried to, he wouldn't put it past Pan to cut the rope and let David fall to his death.

"To offer you a deal," Pan smirked, "Come back and work for me, like the old days."

"I don't miss the old days."

"What if I were to offer you something very hard to come by? Passage off the island."

"Still not interested."

"What if I were to sweeten the deal? You can take someone with you…" he grinned, "Emma?"

"Emma would never leave her son," Hook shook his head.

"She did once before," Pan shrugged, clearly referencing Henry's birth, "And you can be there to pick up the pieces. We've known each other a very long time, Killian. We've done business before. And I think this is the perfect time to restart that relationship."

"What if I'm not interested?" Hook countered.

"Of course you are. Because that's what I've always liked about you. You're good at surviving."

Hook's jaw clenched at that, "What do you want me to do?"

"Be in my employ," he shrugged, "Do my dirty work."

"What dirty work?"

"Kill the Piper."

"What?" Hook scoffed.

"Kill the Pied Piper," Pan repeated, "Or Rose Red or The Dark One's True Love or whatever she goes by. I want her dead."

"And why's that?" Hook started to smirk, "Threatened?"

"Hardly," Pan remarked, but Hook could see a flicker in his eyes.

He knew that the boy had music-based magic, but it was nothing compared to the music of Sirens, he knew that, Pan knew that, it was why the only creatures on the island that the boy couldn't control was the mermaids and the Sirens that surrounded it. Oh the mermaids worked for him willingly for the most part, but he didn't control them or their magic, his magic couldn't work on them the same way it did his Lost Boys. He could guess what had brought this on, he used his music on the Boys to try and get them to follow him, to bind their lives to his own…if he tried it on Henry and Piper was on the island, if she was able to break his tentative hold on Henry, it WOULD upset the boy enough to want her dead.

But he had to be sure.

"And how would I do this?" he asked, "She's lost somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. Is that what you want to let me leave the island for? To send me there?"

Pan's eyes narrowed as though he knew what Hook was trying to do, "She's here actually," he let Hook have that one, "She's on the island right now, she's trying to take Henry from me and I don't like it when people interrupt my games."

"And Sirens don't like it when you take their families," Hook spoke, honestly not sure why he was defending the woman that he loathed as much as he did the Crocodile, but if it irritated Pan it was a win. What was that phrase again? The enemy of my enemy is my friend? Yes, that had to be it, "Is that it though?" he started to smile again, "She's gotten through to Henry? What, is she winning the game you started?"

"Peter Pan always wins," Pan spat.

Hook hummed at that, enjoying that it was truly bothering Pan that, even if he would win in the end, that he was actually disturbed that there was a snag in his plan, "And what if I don't take your offer?"

"Remember the last time you didn't listen to me?" Pan grinned now, and Hook knew he was thinking of when he'd warned him of the healing waters, the waters that only worked when on the island and that to leave would have dire consequences, he'd not listened then and his brother had died, "Have a drink," he tossed Hook a flask, "You know it always helps you think."

Hook turned around, hearing a grunt behind him to see David's hand appear over the edge of the ledge, the man having climbed up himself, "Bloody hell. I told you to wait!"

"Were you talking to someone?" David demanded, glaring at him.

"Just talking to myself. It's old habit from many nights on the lonely seas."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're enjoying the refreshments while you do it," David glared at the flask and pushed his way past him.

"Apologies, mate," Hook slipped it into his pocket, "It isn't much farther now."

~8~

Mary Margaret watched as Piper finished tying the vines they had left around a tree, the Lost Boy tied to the trunk of it. She felt very uneasy with how 'Piper' was looking at Emma, how she was watching her holding the boy by the neckline of his clothes as he shouted at her, like she was more amused by what Emma was doing than anything.

"It's too late!" the boy cried, "Henry is a Lost Boy now! Your boy is one of the most vicious new recruits we've have had in ages!"

Piper strode forward then and backhanded the boy, "I would bite your tongue if I were you else you find it ripped out of your mouth," she warned, "Lying will get you nowhere."

The boy glared at her but remained quiet, clearly not having expected any of them to actually use violence against him.

"Are you alright Emma?" Piper asked the woman.

"Yeah," Emma glared at the boy and turned her back on him, walking over to Mary Margaret and Regina.

"Don't let him get to you," Mary Margaret murmured, though she kept glancing at Piper. It was like she'd only reacted because she caught her watching and even the way she'd acted? That wasn't Piper, perhaps it might have been decades ago, but raising Pinocchio had changed her, being around Henry had changed her, learning about Baelfire had changed her, she would never ever strike a child like that or threaten them so badly.

Regina rolled her eyes, knowing there was something off about the woman that claimed to be the Piper but not quite caring till she became a threat, "Move aside," she tried to step forward.

"Why?" Mary Margaret looked at her, alarmed.

"So I can rip his heart out," Regina said simply, "Then he'll do exactly what we want."

"This is not how we do things," Mary Margaret shook her head, "Rose," she looked at Piper, "Can't you just use your own magic to…to sway him to our side?"

"I could," Piper nodded, "But I cannot be certain that it will hold once he is around Pan once more," she reminded her, "Henry had only JUST been taken, this boy has been there years already."

"Emma," Mary Margaret turned to Emma, "We can find another way to get to Henry."

"Really?" Regina scoffed, giving Mary Margaret a hard look before she too turned to Emma, "And what do you think, Emma?"

Emma looked between them, from her mother to her…step-grandmother…to her apparent aunt, only two women looking at her without judgment in their eyes and two was more than one, "I think we need to talk to our son," she determined.

"We can't do this," Mary Margaret cried, "That is brutal."

"And the Lost Boys are brutal," Piper argued, "Snow…" she sighed, "Do you remember that promise I made you?"

Mary Margaret frowned, "Yes."

"And what was it?"

She shifted at that, glancing at Emma, knowing that Piper, the real Piper would have just flat out said it, no beating around the bush, this Piper…this one didn't have a clue what the promise was but had only assumed that she'd made something to her cousin, which was reasonable. But she knew, she was terrible at lying, one sign of speaking falsely and whatever this was that looked like Piper might realize that she was aware she wasn't who she claimed to be.

"You promised that you'd do what I couldn't," she said, truly not wanting to give away that information, but knowing there was nothing else she could say.

"YOU and Emma, you might not be able to do this," Piper nodded, "But the Queen and I…we will do what you cannot. Me for you, her for Emma."

Emma took a deep breath, "Do it, Regina."

Mary Margaret turned away, not wanting to look as Regina strode past them, towards the boy, couldn't even look to the side when she felt Piper put a hand on her shoulder, felt Emma give her a small hug on the other side to support her as they heard Regina shove her hand into the boy's chest and pull out his heart.

"I'm sorry," Emma told her quietly.

"You don't have to apologize to me," Mary Margaret swallowed, "It's Henry I'm worried about."

"Children are resilient," Piper remarked, "He shall be better when he is with us once more."

"That's why I'm willing to let Regina do whatever it takes," Emma nodded.

"When we finally get to him, I just wanna make sure the line is still there," Mary Margaret turned and looked at the two of them, ignoring Regina releasing the boy from the tree now that he was under their command.

"What line?" Emma frowned.

"Between what Regina is willing to do and what you are."

"It will be the same as what I am willing to do and what YOU are," Piper stated, "What you cannot, we shall."

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get him home," Emma swallowed.

"Second thoughts?" Regina called, walking over to them with the boy who was standing complacently beside her.

"Let's get him that message," Emma nodded.

"Oh," Regina grinned, "We're gonna do more than that," she pulled a small pocket mirror out of her coat, breaking it in half and handing one half to the boy, holding the other up to them, "We're gonna _see_ him."

~8~

Hook sighed as he carefully pressed his back against a rock, making his way past a large growth of dreamshade plant, not wanting to get stuck by it, "Since you're already dying from the stuff," he remarked as they passed it, David pushing ahead of him, "You won't mind if I stand back while you…" he trailed off as David swung around, his sword in hand, now aimed at Hook's throat.

"I know about your deal with Pan," David glared at him, panting and sweating, struggling to keep the strength up, but not about to let any harm come to his family because of the pirate.

"You heard that then?" Hook tried to smile.

"Yeah," he stepped closer, pushing Hook back towards the dreamshade, "I heard that."

"Then you know I didn't agree."

"Yeah, you also didn't disagree."

"Don't you see?" Hook glared, "This is what he wanted, to turn us against each other."

"Well, it worked," David shot back, "I will NOT take the risk of you doing anything to my family."

"Family?" he scoffed, "Since when do YOU consider the Piper your family?" he nearly sneered, "From what I understand, you and she are at odds with each other. I'd even go so far as to say you might just hate the little wench."

"Regardless of whether I like her or not, she is my wife's family, and I will NOT let you harm her," he pushed the sword closer, making Hook lean back but not too much as the dreamshade was nearly digging into the back of his leather coat.

"You're making the poison spread quicker, mate," Hook tried to reason.

"I don't care," David panted, "I just have to last long enough to get the sextant back to my family and warn them about you. Now take me to it!"

Hook sighed, "My brother didn't lose his satchel up here. I made that up."

"What about the insignia?" David frowned.

"I dropped it on the path so you'd find it."

"Why?" he started to lower his sword only slightly.

"Because I knew you'd never make the journey here if I told you the truth."

"The truth?" he glared again, lifting the sword, "The truth you brought me here to die? So…so that I'd be out of the way of your little plans?"

"I brought you here to save your life!"

"You're a liar!" David cried, rushing towards Hook, swinging the sword, but he was too weak and it made it all too easy for Hook to punch him quickly, taking him out and knocking him to the ground, unconscious.

Hook sighed and rubbed his face, looking at David to up ahead, to the path that would lead to the water, and back.

~8~

It was only a short hour later that would find Hook standing in the woods of Neverland, alone, but able to hear the Charmings and Regina, ALL the Charmings, speaking behind him. It was a hell of a night as well, he'd punched out a prince, gotten him a cure, found out that Regina had taken the heart of a Lost Boy, but that the message had been given to Henry that they were there to restore his hope…and, oh yes, found out that the Piper truly was on the island, she was RIGHT there as well. He ran a hand down his face, this night was one of the most trying of his life.

He'd managed to knock out David and get some of the water that could cure him, being sure to warn him that, if he took it, he would never be able to leave the island. David had taken it, saying that he just wanted to get his family safe and he would remain there forever it if meant they'd be ok. They'd returned to the group to the shock of seeing the Pied Piper among them. He had seen David glance at him warningly, but it appeared the prince was under the impression that, if he meant to kill the Piper, he never would have saved HIM as having David out of the way would have made it easier. He couldn't mean to kill Piper because David would know it was him, David would protect her and David would blurt out the truth at the first threat against her. The fact that he was alive had to mean that Hook was turning down Pan's offer.

And now he was in even more of a predicament. The prince trusted him now, but he doubted that would last long. There was something…off about Piper, he could see it in how Mary Margaret watched her. Emma had told him, after a rather…sensual kiss with her…that she and the others had been able to contact Henry, but that Piper had stayed out of the message. The woman claimed it was because the device used was so small that she doubted she'd fit into the message, that Mary Margaret had barely been able to get in on it. For whatever reason, that seemed to really bother Mary Margaret, she'd kept her gaze on the woman the entire time they'd explained what happened. It was like she couldn't believe that Piper wouldn't want to speak to Henry.

He was suspicious of the woman as well, more so for how Emma and Mary Margaret seemed to keep her at arms' length than anything. But if he tried anything, then David would assume he was working with Pan. If he didn't do something then there was a chance that this…Piper thing would end up being bad for them all. He didn't want to risk anything happening to Emma but…he could literally do nothing while the woman was there. Act and be seen as a traitor, don't act and he put Emma in danger.

He let out a long groan, not knowing what to do.

"You really should've taken my deal," a voice spoke and Hook groaned again, turning to see Pan standing there once more.

"It doesn't look like I need your help with Emma after all, mate," he tried to smirk, tried to play off that he didn't suspect a thing about Piper, trying to make it seem only about Emma.

"What, you think that kiss actually meant something?" Pan scoffed.

"I do," he stated, hating how his fists clenched at the notion that Emma and his rather…heated kiss only moments ago meant nothing, "I think it means she's finally starting to see me for the man I am."

"What? A one-handed pirate with a drinking problem?" Pan raised an eyebrow, "I'm no grown-up, but I'm pretty sure that's less than appealing."

"A man of honor," Hook corrected.

"So tell me," he smirked, "What would a man of honor like yourself do with a big, fat secret?"

"Well, that depends what the secret is."

"Baelfire."

"Neal," Hook corrected again.

"Whatever name he goes by these days," Pan waved it off, "The guy Emma loves. Henry's father."

"What of him?" Hook frowned, "He's dead."

"No," he smirked, "I'm afraid not. He's alive. And that's not even the best part. He's in Neverland."

Hook stiffened at that, "Is he?"

"Oh yes," Pan nodded, "Can you believe it? And that's not even the best part."

"And what's that?" Hook took the bait.

"He came to Neverland WITH the Piper," Pan grinned widely, "I suppose it's a good thing she hasn't said a word about it, that would take the fun out of it all. But, then again, I wonder why she hasn't spoken?"

Hook glared at that, knowing exactly why she hadn't, Pan. Pan had done something to Piper or that was Piper, either way…the thing with them that looked like her was working for Pan. And that just made it worse, without proof he couldn't act against the thing. If he claimed she was something else, without knowing what, it would make him look like he was trying to get her out of the way.

"I'm sure Emma would love to know that Henry's father is still alive," Pan continued, "But I'd hate for that to get in the way of budding romance. It would be sweeter coming from YOU, so I'll leave it up to you to tell her or not. Let's see what kind of man you really are."

Hook watched, glowering, as Pan disappeared, leaving him with more ethical conundrums than he had ever had to face before. He turned around and headed back to the small camp they'd made, standing at the edge of it, his gaze not on Emma…but on Piper, watching her carefully.

He needed to know what she was before she could harm any of them, and he would find out, if it was the last thing he did.

A/N: Apologies for no chapter yesterday, my sister had 2 job interviews in New York and I was the only one off that could go with her. My parents are pretty overprotective (mostly with me, less with my brother but still pretty big on it with my sister too) and they prefer, especially for out of state things, that one of us goes with the other or that there's at least 1 other person with us for those trips. We left early and didn't get back till late and my phone died halfway through :(

As for this chapter...it was a little more difficult to write due to the lack of Gold or 'Piper' in it, but I sort of wanted to see the flip side, what if the same thing that had been haunting Gold came for Mary Margaret as well? :) I like to think that, even though Piper is different than the Rose Red Snow used to know, that she'd still be able to tell this thing following them isn't her cousin :)

Some notes on reviews...

I think I probably went a little crazy without the computer lol :) I sort of decided to try and work out what stories should come out each year right through 2020 and worked out that sort of tentative schedule. So I have that up on my tumblr what stories will becoming what years, so far, unless something changes ;)

Oh Rumple was definitely distracted ;) ;) I can say Piper will not be very happy when she sees Neal again but that it might not be Pan that gets Piper near the sea with some sort of other sea creatures waiting for her }:)

Thank you very much for your thoughts :) I hope my parents will stop discouraging me too, I'm hopeful that once I get a more permanent job that they might ease up slightly :) ...and hopefully by then I'll be able to move out so they can lighten up A LOT lol ;)

I was very tempted to make the Sirens completely harsh and cold to Piper, but I'd built up so much that family was their main thing that I figured, if they believed they got their family back (even in death) that they'd ease up slightly and see Piper more as the last of that branch of the family and want to give her a choice. But I can say if she ever meets them again they will be out for blood given her rejection of them }:) I agree with your thoughts on Rumbelle, I appreciate what they try to portray in the idea of Rumbelle, but I can't quite see it fitting in a healthy sense compared to a few other 'true love' couples. Henry will play a large part in Neal easing up on Piper, but she'll definitely not be very happy with Neal for a while ;)


	10. Deathdays and Birthdays

Deathdays and Birthdays

It was her birthday, not that many people would know that. Truly there was only one person alive at the moment that knew when her birthday was. There was also only one person alive who knew who she was. Both people were different though, only one knew her birthday while the other knew she was alive. It explained why the infamous Pied Piper was standing in a small alcove of the royal gardens of Snow White's palace, under the shade of a weeping willow tree, a fountain a few feet away, such a small fountain that it was more like a bird bath than anything, and staring down at a rock that was at the base of the tree. Snow White, her cousin, knew what day this was…but Snow White also knew, or thought, that she was dead. She hadn't always been the Pied Piper, she'd been Rose Red first, Snow White's younger cousin.

But those days were gone.

As was commemorated by the stone at her feet.

A gravestone. HER gravestone. It appeared her dear cousin had made a grave for her. And there it was, the stone that had nothing on it, not even her name, save the engraving of a rose and the date that Regina had attacked her kingdom, the day Rose Red had to 'die' yet not quite the day that the Piper had been born. That was an odd notion, to have gone months without a name, without an identity, knowing you couldn't be who you were but not knowing yet who you would be. But there at her feet was the reminder of who she had been, once upon a time.

She looked up, looked at the tree and the small fountain, she remembered this place. It pained her to realize she had forgotten so much of her life as Rose Red, she forgot what her room looked like, what color the gray was of her castle's throne room, couldn't recall the shades of her parents favorite outfits. She had been frightened to think that she would forget Snow White as well, forget what her cousin looked like, forget the times they had. It was harder to remember her, at times, the girl she used to be, but she had been able to watch over Snow, ever since Rumpelstiltskin had learned who she was, who she really was. He'd given her an enchanted mirror that allowed her to look in on her cousin at any time. She tried not to look in on Snow too much, knowing her cousin was married and seeing her consummating the relationship was NOT something she needed to see more of. No, she mostly looked in when she was worrying for her, or fearful that Regina was going to try something or if she knew her cousin was out of the kingdom.

She knew Snow would be venturing out of the kingdom later that day, there was a ball being held in the neighboring kingdom for some prince in search of a wife and she knew that Snow and her prince would need to attend. She knew Snow would have to leave soon, so she thought it would be safe to sneak into the castle for the moment, just…to take a moment to refresh her memory. Just because she wasn't Rose Red any longer, it didn't mean she wanted to forget anything about her life. Her cloak of shadows had been especially useful in getting her into the gardens, to this little area, a small little nook off to the side. She could understand why Snow would put that marker there. When they had been small and the weather was nice, if Snow's parents were more observant and watching to make sure they didn't sneak off, they'd have picnics there, they'd hide out under the willow leaves with the smell of flowers and the soft breeze and the little fountain and the birds and just have fun, be little girls.

It was their spot in the castle, the one they always came to within the castle walls.

She wasn't sure whether she should smile at the marker or not though, it was a sweet gesture by Snow, that told her that her cousin did love her very much that she'd want to honor her death and remember her…but that was just it. It was also a reminder that she could never see her cousin again, not till she was sure that everything would be well for her, not till she was sure that her true love would be safe from those that would harm him. She trusted Snow with her life, she would never think Snow would put Rumpelstiltskin in danger if she knew who he was to her beloved cousin…but Snow's prince. She was grateful he took such care and devotion in protecting Snow, but he had attacked her AND Rumpelstiltskin many times already and she didn't doubt that he would go behind Snow's back to 'protect' her from the Dark One if he saw him as a threat…which she knew the prince did.

"Oh Snow," she murmured, kneeling down to reach out and trace the outline of the rose on the rock, "I do miss you cousin. I wish I could tell you that I am still here," she shook her head and stood up, "But this is for the best," she determined, already knowing she was more trying to convince herself that than anyone else.

She stiffened halfway through turning to depart, hearing a familiar song approaching. She looked around, knowing that she had to hide and fast lest she be caught. She quickly darted behind the tree, knowing that it was the only thing around that was thick enough to hide her from the person approaching. She tugged the shadow cloak around her tightly, knowing it could only help her remain unnoticed but if she did draw too much attention to herself it wouldn't exactly help her much. She pressed herself against the thick trunk, listening intently as she now heard footsteps to accompany the song of her cousin approaching.

Snow White reached out a hand, dressed in a light red ball gown, and pushed aside the hanging branches of the willow tree to step under it. She glanced behind her, she knew she should be heading for the carriage, to go to the ball but…she couldn't leave till she'd visited this spot, not today, not today of all days. Not on Rose's birthday.

She smiled sadly at the small stone marker and knelt before it, reaching out, much like Piper had just done, to trace the rose on it, "Oh Rosie," she unconsciously mimicked her cousin's words, "I'm so sorry," she sniffled slightly, "If it wasn't for me…Regina would have never come after you, she…she would have left you alone. She only attacked you because she was trying to hurt me, to take away everyone I loved like I…like I took away the one she loved," she swallowed hard, "I'm so sorry you got caught in our war. And don't…" she laughed slightly, tears in her eyes, "Don't say that my war IS your war too, it shouldn't be, no matter what you promised me or how much you want to protect me. You never should have been put in the middle of it. You…you tried to warn me," she recalled solemnly.

"You tried to stop me making this entire mess. You didn't think Regina should have been my mother, that she was too young, I should have listened to you right then. And then with Daniel," she swallowed hard, "You didn't want me to talk to Cora, but I did and I shouldn't have. You always were wiser than me Rosie, even though you were my baby sister, you were always wiser like that, better at reading people," she let out a sad breath, "Even after Regina married father, you still knew, didn't you, that she wasn't happy? I saw it, you know, the way you looked at her, like you felt bad for her, pitied her. I always thought it was because you felt badly that mother had died but that wasn't the case, was it? You knew she was suffering and that I was just making it worse. She wasn't happy with us, was she? She never was and I…I should have noticed. I was selfish…don't say I wasn't," she cut in, as though she were actually talking to her cousin.

"I was, I was a selfish little girl who just wanted a mother so badly that I was willing to steal a woman's life and freedom just to get one," Snow looked down, "Regina was only five years older than me and I…I should have seen her as a sister than a mother. I should have argued against father proposing to her just to give me a mother. Marriage SHOULD be about love, I didn't understand that then, not yet. I didn't till I met Charming," she laughed at that, "Oh you would have killed him for how we met. He tackled me, I hit him, he trapped me in a net…we nearly got killed by some trolls but…it worked out, in the end, we found love in one another."

She fell quiet, her smile slipping, "It was hard, Rosie, it was so hard to find him again, to get to this point where I can…I can be happy with him. We went through so much and…" she closed her eyes, "I wished so badly that you were there with me," she sniffled again, "I wished that you were right there with me, as selfish as that is, because a lot of it wasn't all that fun but I just kept thinking that it wouldn't be so bad if you were there. You always made me feel better Rosie, even when you were being difficult or harsh, in the end, it always ended up making me smile and making me feel safe and happy and not alone. I think…I think it would have even been easier, to be alone, if I just knew you were alive somewhere else but you weren't, you…you aren't. You're dead," her voice cracked at that, "And it's my fault. Because I told Regina's secret and Daniel died because of it and Regina was trapped and I just…"

Snow took a deep breath, cutting herself off, "There I go again," she mumbled, "Making this about me when it should be about you. It's YOUR birthday and I…" she let out a laugh, "You would still make me tell you all about me wouldn't you? You would. You wouldn't care what day it was if something was bothering me. But I'm not gonna do it," she smiled, "No sad talk today, not a word more about it. Only happy things. And…I…I might have the best news of all," she bit her lip, a grin threatening to crack her face wide open, "I'm with child, Rosie."

Behind the tree Piper's eyes widened at that, a hand flying to her mouth to hold her gasp in.

"I know," Snow laughed, tears in her voice, "I'm going to have a baby. A girl. I know I don't look it, I only just found out this morning when I was late and…I'm going to be a mother Rose. Charming's mother, she had a charm, a little trinket that tells you the gender and it works, it says it'll be a girl and I…I know it, in my bones, I know it will be," she swallowed hard, "I didn't even have to think, you know, about names or things like that, I just knew, the second that I realized it would be a girl, I knew what I wanted to name her. If…if it's ok with you Rose, I…I want to name her Emma. For you. Because…because I know you would love this little girl as though she were your own daughter, just like we promised each other we would. We promised our children would grow up to be as close as we are…were," she corrected quietly, "This is…this is my way of making sure that our children would still be close. I want to name my daughter the name you would have named yours."

Snow was quiet a long while, as though she were waiting for a confirmation that it would be alright with the spirit of her cousin to do that, but she laughed a moment later, "It's better than Grass Green or Sky Blue," she joked, making Piper smile behind the tree, "So…Emma it is," she nodded, "Just…don't tell Charming," she joked.

"Don't tell me what?" another voice spoke, actually startling Piper. She'd been so focused on listening to Snow that she'd completely missed her prince getting closer.

"Nothing," Snow smiled back at him.

Charming eyed her a moment, "What are you doing back here Snow?" he stepped closer and glanced down at the small grave stone, "What is that for?"

Snow reached out and held a hand up to him, tugging him to sit beside her, tucking her arm into his as he joined her, "This is…my cousin, Rose Red, today's her birthday," she gestured her other arm to the stone, "She…she died shortly after my father passed."

"Regina?" Charming asked after a quiet moment.

Snow nodded, "She had been with me, you know, when father died. She was the one that woke me. Rose was…she was part Siren, on her mother's side," she explained, "She could hear music, songs, in people, the song of their soul she used to call it. She heard father's end and ran to get me. We found he'd been poisoned by vipers later and she didn't leave my side for a moment, not till the very end, till she had to return to her kingdom to get my aunt and uncle for the funeral."

"Your father and hers?" he guessed, knowing that Snow wasn't part Siren.

"Yes," Snow sighed, "Regina attacked instantly, Rose was barely there a day when Regina attacked at night. She…she killed them all, my uncle, my aunt…Rose. She burned the kingdom to the ground, she just…she wanted to hurt me and went after Rose too. She…she wasn't just my cousin, she was like my sister," she looked down at her hand, at a small scar on her palm, "She WAS my sister," she smiled at it, tracing the line of it with her thumb.

"Tell me about her," Charming offered, knowing that his original mission in coming to find her, to tell her that the carriage was waiting for them, could wait, his wife needed this right now.

Snow smiled at that, "She was my opposite, in almost every way. She had blonde hair, but she shared my eyes," she gently touched under her eyes with her free hand, before lowering it to rest on his arm, leaning her head to rest on his shoulder, "She was younger than me but…so much wiser. She was less, well, optimistic than I was, she liked to say that she saw reality for what it was, saw people for what they were and not what they could be. She could be harsh at times, blunt, but it was always because she was worrying about me or wanted to make a point. She once told me that I didn't have what it took to be a ruler, but," she added, when she saw him open his mouth to argue that, "She meant that I wouldn't want to kill anyone, like…like Regina," she swallowed, "She knew that I wouldn't be able to see things like war and executions through so she…she told me to send anyone like that to her, and she would do it for me. She actually promised that she would do what I couldn't, so that I wouldn't have to," she smiled sadly, "She was always trying to protect me, from anything that could hurt me, she just…she would have rather taken it on herself than let me suffer."

"She sounds like someone I could respect," Charming remarked.

"She was always there for me, looking out for me, making me smile and laugh and never leaving me alone when she knew I needed someone."

"Actually, I think we'd be good friends," Charming corrected, anyone that was willing to do that for Snow was someone he would get along with brilliantly, he was sure.

Snow laughed at that, "We were thick as thieves," she looked down at the gravestone once more, "We had all these plans, to…to grow up together, to always be there for each other. We were going to find men that loved us for all that we were and have children and raise them together, like we were, we'd always be close, be sisters."

"That doesn't have to end now Snow," Charming told her, "Not just because she passed on. She will always be with you, in here," he lightly put a finger to her chest, to her heart, "And she will always be your sister there. I wouldn't doubt that, even now, she's watching over you and protecting you just like she promised."

"I like to think she is," Snow admitted quietly, "She was just…she was family," her voice cracked, "She was my sister and I…I was older, I SHOULD have been the one to protect her, to keep HER safe, not the other way around. And I…I failed that Charming," she looked at him, "She died because of Regina's vendetta against me."

Piper closed her eyes tightly at that, at hearing the true heartbreak in her cousin's voice, it was breaking her heart to hear her cousin so sad about that, so upset that she had 'lost' her cousin, when she was still very much alive and so very close.

"It wasn't your fault Snow," Charming lifted his hand and brushed away her tears, "Regina's attacks against you…no one could have seen that coming and I doubt Rose Red blames you," he added, knowing THAT was what was truly upsetting his wife.

Snow White blamed herself for what happened to her cousin…but even more so she was terrified that her cousin would blame her for her death as well.

"From how you described her Snow, your cousin loved you more than anything," he continued, "She would have rather you lived than that Regina succeed in harming you. She would be proud of you, I think."

"You do?" Snow whispered.

"Look at all you've accomplished," he nodded, "You fought back, you survived, you took back your kingdom and saved your people from Regina's reign. You came out the victor here, you won. And you are still alive. Out of everything, I think your cousin would be most happy about that," he smiled, "I know I, for one, am very glad you're alive. You are my whole world Snow and all I want is for you to be safe and happy."

"She would have wanted that too," Snow murmured.

"Not good friends then, great friends," Charming joked, "Are you Snow?" he wondered, "Are you happy? Do you feel safe?"

Snow considered it a moment, it was a very loaded question. She had lived feeling in danger for so long she almost didn't know what safety felt like any longer. And for happy…she might be happy with some things, but was she truly and deeply happy? COULD she be happy without her cousin there beside her?

She smiled slightly, "I am," she realized, and she was.

She was safe, in his arms, and she was happy because she knew that Rose would have wanted her to be happy, she would never ever want her to blame herself for what happened. Rose would have wanted her to fight back and face down Regina and take what was hers and she had. She smiled more at that, she'd done exactly what her cousin would have wanted, what her cousin always tried to get her to do, fight back, stand up for herself. She liked to think that, during all of it, her cousin's spirit had been with her, giving her the strength and courage to do what she had. She did feel like her cousin was always there, watching over her, protecting her, helping her get to where she was today.

In a way, she had done all she had because of her cousin, she'd done it FOR her cousin. In stopping Regina, she had avenged her cousin as well, she had taken down the woman who had taken her cousin from her. And she had done it all while still remaining true to who she was, something Rose had NEVER wanted her to lose, she'd done it all with light in her heart and not fallen to the temptation of darkness. She had done everything she and Rose had ever hoped for in their lives. She was ruling and ruling well, with a loving husband, expecting a child, and she was happy. That was all Rose had ever wanted for her, to be happy.

"Then I think she would be proud of you," Charming repeated.

"I think she would be too," Snow started to nod, "I want her to be proud of me."

She looked at her husband, a wide smile on her face and leaned in to kiss him deeply, holding onto his arm as they slowly stood and turned to head out to the ball that Prince Thomas was throwing, or that his father was, to try and find a wife.

Once they were far enough away, Piper stepped out from behind the tree, her hand resting on the trunk as she smiled sadly at the disappearing form of her cousin and her husband, "I AM proud of you Snow," she whispered, "SO proud of you sister."

She gave a small smile, tears in her eyes, before she turned and snuck her way out of the garden, the sun was starting to set and she had a true love of her own to meet up with in the woods in case he needed assistance, there was a peasant girl about to make a wish on a fairy godmother that he needed to see about a wand and a deal.

~8~

Piper blinked as she and Rumpelstiltskin appeared not in the main chamber of the Dark Castle but in one of the hallways instead. They had just come from the woods, the man having just helped a peasant, Cinderella, prepare for the ball at Prince Thomas's, the ball that Snow White and Prince Charming were attending as well. She had been expecting them to appear in the main chamber mostly due to the fact that it was late and they hadn't eaten since noontime. As far as she knew they were meant to have a small dinner and retire for the night, let the events of the ball play out. According to the Dark One, Cinderella would meet her beloved prince and flee around midnight, losing her shoe. The prince would spend a day or two tracking her down and, despite her stepmother's attempts to stop it, the prince would find her again and they'd be wed and Rumpelstiltskin could come and claim his price from the woman.

It wasn't a true deal in the sense that he'd actually intended to help the girl out, there was nothing, as far as she knew, that he actually desired as payment from the girl, but it had been an unfortunate expectation when it came to his attempt to get the magic wand from the fairy godmother that had come to help Cinderella originally. He knew that he would have to kill the fairy right as she was using magic in order to unlock the magic in the wand, but that would also mean that Cinderella would have spotted him. Luckily he had magic of his own to help the girl with and he would be able to call in a debt later when the girl had everything she desired. It would be a fairly short wait though, the prince, inspired by Snow White and her Shepherd, would be determined to find his Cinders girl.

The fact that it was meant to be a fairly simple deal meant that they'd be back home quickly enough and be able to enjoy a meal…so she wasn't entirely sure why they were in the hallway on the upper level of the castle instead.

"Rummy?" she looked at him curiously, not entirely certain what was going on.

Rumpelstiltskin merely grinned and poofed a strip of fabric into his hand, "Trust me?"

Without speaking a word, Piper turned and allowed him to blindfold her. He gave a softer smile than most would expect at her actions, he loved that about her, that she never had to actually SAY it aloud to him, her actions spoke volumes and he appreciated that. He quickly tied the blindfold securely around her eyes and took her hand, leading her down the hall. He was hoping that this would be a good surprise but he didn't want to risk her seeing what he had planned and, even though he knew he could have merely covered her eyes, there was something about blindfolding her and seeing how much trust she had in him, how much unwavering faith in his intentions, that made a warm feeling bubble inside his gut.

He paused before a set of large double doors and lightly pushed them open, moving behind Piper as he led her inside, and slowly reached up to pull the blindfold off her.

Piper blinked as she saw what was set up before her, her mouth actually falling open as she saw it. It was the music room. But it was dark, with candles set up around it, some even floating in the air, and roses, all sorts of roses of every color in vases all over. There was a small table set up, a quaint little round table, with two very large plush chairs on either side…and a small cake resting on the middle.

"Rummy…" she breathed, stepping closer to it, seeing a single candle was lit on the cake, before she turned to him, "What…"

"Happy birthday Pip," Rumpelstiltskin smiled, stepping closer.

"You know?" she whispered.

He nodded, "I…might have been watching."

She shook her head, though there was a small smile spreading on her face, "You were watching me when I went to visit Snow?"

"Well," he tried to brush it off but she narrowed her eyes playfully at him, "I always watch you Pip," he told her seriously, reaching up to touch her cheek, "Whenever you're out of my sight. I can't bear that Pip, to be without you like that. I…worry. And I did promise, dearie, that I would protect you from the Queen's men, just because the Queen has been usurped doesn't mean her men are following your cousin now. I…will never let anything harm you Pip."

Piper looked at him for that, smiling softly, "And you heard Snow mention it was my birthday…" she blinked and something hit her, "And did all this?"

He giggled, "Magic dearie."

She should have realized that, it would explain how he'd managed to make all this happen so quickly, "Many thanks Rummy."

"No need for thanks Pip," he told her, stroking her cheek, "You celebrated my boy's birthday, you even worked out when MINE was," he giggled at that, "It was only fair. Now," he lowered his hand to her shoulder and turned her to face her cake, "Make a wish…and…I'll make sure it comes true."

Piper looked at the candle, knowing this was his way of saying he was offering her another one-sided deal, a favor, an opportunity to use his magic without him asking for a deal or a price. But there was only one thing that she could think of, so she turned to him, "I wish…that Snow's child, the one you said was prophesized to end the Dark Curse, that you will help her, in this new land."

Rumpelstiltskin blinked at that, startled that Piper seemed to think it was a girl, "WE will help her Pip," he swore to her, taking her other hand and holding it tightly, "We will both go to this new world."

"You truly believe that?" she murmured, "Regina is to cast the curse. If she discovers me, not even that I am Rose Red but merely that I am important to you…she will separate us, because _I_ am your happy ending and she will not wish for you to have that. If she separates us, whether it is in the curse or…some other way, I wish, I want you to promise me, that Snow's child, should she ever come to you, that you will help her."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded at that, "I promise Pip," he told her quietly, "If she comes to me, I will do all I can to help her, in whatever way I can."

He would have to be careful, Regina would likely retain her memories so she could enjoy her 'happy ending,' he wouldn't be able to outright help Snow's child, he wouldn't be able to be too willing, he would have to make it seem like a deal was being done and he would have to do it in his own way…but yes, he would help her. Not only because she would be the way to end the curse, but because she would be Piper's family. And, if Piper was right, if Regina truly did manage to separate them (something he truly hadn't considered), then the child might be his only chance at getting her back.

He tugged Piper to him gently and held her, the two ignoring the candle melting on the cake beside them, as he made a promise to himself. No matter what, he would NOT allow Regina to learn about Piper, about how close she was to him, how much she meant to him. He would not reveal a thing to the queen, he would not give her anything to use against him.

A/N: Poor Rummy, we sort of know that he fails that last little mission, he definitely let on a bit more to Regina than he intended to ;) I'm sorry this was a little late, I ended up working an unexpected double today :( But I hope you liked this chapter, I really wanted just a moment for Snow at Piper's 'grave' and to have that little irony with Charming wanting to be best buddies with Piper and to see them in real time being irritated with each other lol :)

Apologies for the notes on reviews to come, I think the site might be glitching because I have email alerts for some reviews that didn't show up on the actual story page, so if I answer one that doesn't seem complete to how someone reviewed, I'll try and answer more fully when the reviews show up, some might have gotten cut off as I'm using my email alerts instead this time ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, yup 2020 and that's just the stories that I have semi-figured out how long it would take to write them and what days they'd be posted and things. I've still got a little list for beyond 2020 to work out. I can say the AUs for my Doctor Who stories alone will likely go into 2024 ;)

That's ok ;) I know life can really get in the way of things, I'm just glad you're enjoying the story :)

Oh the Hook/OC is getting annoying, lol. Each time I try to edit this story, the OC for Hook is like 'NO! No I'm supposed to be there! Don't let it happen like that! No! Write me! Write me NOW!' :) I think Pan's 'Piper' might be trying to see what the others notice and don't notice, it might be trying to gather information to make a better, more realistic version of Piper }:) We'll have to wait and see what Neal says and who will tell them what ;) As for the fake Piper, I can say the real one won't be very happy that Pan keeps trying to use her image against people }:) Piper might ease up slightly on Hook, but she'll still be very protective of Emma in terms of how Hook sometimes talks/acts around women and Emma, she might trust him more if she sees him being protective of Emma though ;)


	11. Ariel

Ariel

Mary Margaret sat to the side of their small camp, her arm linked with David's, not really paying much attention to what David was saying about what was happening before them. Regina was trying to teach Emma to use her magic, using anger as a spark. She was sure David was saying something about how it wasn't a good idea, she was sure she was agreeing, but she wasn't really aware of it, because she was focused on her cousin, on Piper, as she stood there, watching Regina and Emma, her arms crossed…actually encouraging Emma to use anger as a trigger. Regina didn't seem to notice how that wasn't what Piper was like, she probably wouldn't have cared either way, but Emma could tell that there was something off about Piper and listening to her was not something she wanted to do at the moment. It was irritating Regina in the process as she seemed to think Emma's lack of wanting to use anger came from her teacher and not the encouragements of her 'aunt.'

"We need to talk," a voice said beside them and Mary Margaret looked over to see Hook had approached them, his voice low, crouching down to keep his words even more private, "Pan paid me a visit. He, uh he told me that Neal is alive, that he's on this very island."

Mary Margaret stared at him a moment before shaking her head, "Emma saw him. He was shot. He fell through a portal. No one could survive that. And…and even if he did, Rose would have said something. She jumped in after him."

It had been a silent agreement among the camp that Piper had said nothing about Neal because Neal was dead, something Emma didn't seem to want to bring up. She had confessed a short while ago that she was upset over having lost Neal after having just gotten him back, that she was angry and hurt and scared and disappointed, mostly in herself, that she'd waited so long, that she'd lost that opportunity.

"Yes, about your dear cousin," Hook sighed, "Pan seemed to imply she was working for him."

"She would never!" Mary Margaret nearly shouted, but managed to keep her voice low for the moment.

"As much as I dislike the wench, I'm inclined to agree," Hook muttered, glancing at Piper and back to Mary Margaret, "I don't believe that's really her."

Mary Margaret turned, looking at her 'cousin' and swallowed hard, she didn't think it was her either. But Pan had sent her for a reason and she didn't want to give away too much. The longer they could keep someone with them that they KNEW wasn't the real Piper, the less time Pan would have to send another person after them, pull another trick on them. The longer he thought they were falling for it, the better off they would be knowing they weren't.

"If Pan is to be believed, Neal survived, and now he's here," Hook continued, "He said he took him from this very camp while we were off in his cave."

"And, uh, why would he tell you?"

"What does he hope to gain?" David agreed, it was suspicious.

"Who knows why he does anything?" Hook mumbled, "He has his reasons, but it's a sure bet they're not good ones."

Mary Margaret looked around the camp, trying to see if there were any signs for what Pan had said, and spotted one behind them, "He's telling the truth," she got up and headed to a small patch of broken branches and twigs just at the borderline of the trees. She pushed them down and looked behind them, seeing marks in the dirt along with more broken branches, "Tracks and a scuffle. Someone was here while we were gone," she gasped, "We have to tell her!" and turned to run back to Emma.

"No, no, no," David stopped her, "She already lost Neal once. And if this is a game, we can't put her through losing him again."

"He's right," Hook agreed, "Either way, telling her is what Pan wants, which is why we shouldn't do it," he glanced back and then to Mary Margaret again, "If we tell her Neal's alive, it'll force Piper's hand. It'll reveal whoever she is and Pan will know we've found him out."

Mary Margaret frowned at him, "You want to find him without letting her know?"

"Why hurt her unnecessarily?" Hook agreed.

"I've never lied to her before."

"You're not lying. You're just keeping a secret until confirmation."

"Secrets always seem to keep us from the people we really care about," Mary Margaret sighed, looking past them at Emma, quietly talking with Regina.

"And sometimes secrets protect the people we love," David reminded her.

Mary Margaret looked at him but sighed and nodded. He gave her a nod as well and moved to pick up his sword and supplies, strapping them onto his back, Mary Margaret moving behind him to help, "If we're gonna hide this, we need a good cover story."

"That's not a problem," David mumbled, he and Hook about to turn and go…when Emma spotted them.

"Where you guys going?" the woman asked, walking over, Regina on one side, Piper on the other though a bit behind.

David and Hook both spoke at the same time, giving excuses of 'Firewood,' and 'to get eater.'

"Guys, what's going on?" Emma crossed her arms, reminding her parents that she could tell when they were lying.

"Neal's alive," Mary Margaret blurted.

"Neal is…" Emma stared at her, gaping, with wide eyes and her mouth falling open, looking completely startled, "Alive?"

"Maybe," Mary Margaret nodded, glancing between Hook and David, "Sorry. She deserved to know."

Emma shook her head, "But…but he…" she turned, looking at Piper, "He was shot. YOU went with him. Why didn't you say anything?!"

Piper looked at them, seeing the looks in Hook, David, and Mary Margaret's eyes and knew she'd been found out, "Oh Snow, always were so bad at keeping secrets, weren't you?" she looked between them all and smirked, "Pan will be pleased with the secrets I've found in you lot."

And then, right before their eyes, Piper faded into a shadow, Pan's shadow, with glowing eyes, before it darted off into the sky, best to depart than to stay and allow itself to be captured.

Hook closed his eyes, knowing that this was only going to open them up to another attack by Pan later. THIS was why he hadn't wanted the truth told, part of it, because now Pan would know they had found him out, and now he could start the next round of his game. Mary Margaret, however, just stared at the spot that the shadow had disappeared through, Hook's words ringing through her ears, NEAL was on the island...Piper had gone after him, if Neal was there...maybe Piper really was there too.

And, as terrible and up in the air as the situation was, she couldn't help the relief that raced through her at that, her cousin was there, and she had no doubt Piper would be trying to find Henry too. If the shadow had been at all truthful, had used any instance of Piper on the island, then her cousin had already helped Henry and she knew, Piper would NOT give up.

~8~

Piper sat on a small rock, her pipe in her hand, gently running her fingers over the grooves and patterns and holes in it, watching Gold as he sat on a bigger rock, his eyes closed, his hands out before him, trying to see the future. She had helped him reach that point where he could calm enough to try and look, had played a simple tune on her pipe till he'd seemed relaxed enough. She'd only just lowered it from her lips, had only just started to fiddle with it, when a twig cracked on the opposite end of their small camp from Gold. She shot to her feet, stepping closer to Gold, as though to protect him, when she saw Pan appear before her, on the other side of the campfire they had going.

"Rummy," she said quietly, her voice strong, not shaking at all, nor would it, she knew exactly who Pan was, she knew the story behind him, she knew all that Felix had to say about the boy. She wasn't afraid of him, she also had Gold beside her, and she had seen them survive worse things than Pan before.

"You can't see the future here," Pan remarked as Gold opened his eyes, watching as the man stood, moving right beside Piper, the two forming a united front as he stared them down, "It's impossible to see the future in a place where time stands still."

"I may not see the future here, but I can make one happen," Gold muttered.

"Was that a threat?" Pan asked, sounding more amused than anything, "And here I made you your favorite breakfast," he gestured to their fire where a small rock was sitting with two bits of bread with eggs inside it sitting there, "Eggs in a basket. Only brought enough for the two of us though, she'll have to find some other food," Pan sneered at Piper.

"I would share mine," Gold stated, knowing there was no point in hiding just how important Piper was to him, the boy wouldn't have used her image if he didn't know that it was the one that would have gotten to him the most.

"Pity," Pan shrugged, "You could use the whole thing. You looked a little down in the dumps. Hasn't your wench been able to take care of that yet? I don't know what you see in her Rumple."

"I'm fine," Gold nearly growled, Piper moving to place a hand on the back of his arm, out of sight of Pan, calming him down.

Oh she wanted to claw the boy's eyes out, use her magic on him and make him feel the agony he had undoubtedly tortured his boys with, but this right now was a battle that Gold had to see through himself with Pan. She could support him, she would, she would do whatever he needed to feel like he could face the boy down, but she knew that there were things she had to do on her own, things that he had to do on his own. They could support each other, but there were battles they couldn't fight for the other.

This was one.

"Sure you are, Rumple," Pan scoffed, "You've lost your son Neal. Again. This makes it…what, three times now? And Henry's unattainable because, well, you'd have to go through me, and we both know you can't."

"Henry is my family as well," Piper had to add, "And I will go through you with enormous pleasure."

"Fiery," Pan remarked, "I'm starting to see why he likes you. Though…I can't say he's always had the best judgment," Pan shrugged, "He has yet to actually attack me. Sentiment probably. Such a mistake," he glanced down at the eggs and started to walk around the campfire, more towards Piper, " You still like the yolk runny, don't you?"

But Gold tugged her back, standing before her, protecting her, "What do you want?" he demanded.

Pan glanced at him, not even answering, "Well, if you won't eat, then I will," he reached down and picked up one of the eggs, biting into it, "I'm just trying to point out the silver lining in your cloudy life."

Gold bit his tongue, his first instinct being to say that he already has his golden lining, not silver, because Piper's hair was golden like the straw he spun, but he didn't want to give Pan more ammunition to use against him, "That by killing you, all our troubles end?"

"We both know that's not going to happen," Pan smirked, "Because the only way to do that is for you to die, too. And you wouldn't want to leave your woman, would you?" he glanced at Piper.

"Who is to say I would not go with him?"

"You would?" he laughed at that, "You would give your life for him?"

"For those I love, yes," Piper nodded, such conviction in her words, such a finality that Pan's laughter stopped, "Not just for Rummy, for my _family_ as well. Henry is a part of that, you had best keep that in mind."

Pan's lips pursed and he forced himself to look at Gold, not liking how the man was the one smirking now, knowing that he hadn't thought that Piper would truly be THAT serious about the Dark One or her own life, "You can go, leave the island," he offered.

"And abandon my son?" Gold scoffed this time, "And Henry? I don't think so."

"Look, even if you did save them, which you won't, what would be the point?" Pan countered, "They'll never forgive you for all the horrible things you've done."

"You don't know that," Gold argued.

Pan eyed him a long moment, before stepping closer to him, "Have you forgiven your father?" he waited for Gold to speak, but he was silent, "You see my point?"

"Not quite," Piper answered, "I have forgiven him."

"Yes, well love has made you weak," Pan grimaced at her, stepping back quickly as though their love was a disease he'd catch.

"And love will make them forgive him as well," Piper countered, "There is nothing stronger than family."

"Well then your true love is in dangerous trouble, isn't he?" Pan smirked.

"Family is not always defined by blood," she shot right back, making his smirk fall at the implication that family could be chosen, that those who were family by blood may not be considered family, that those with no relation might have a stronger tie than others.

"Stop this foolishness," Pan turned to Gold, "Take your woman, and go back to Storybrooke. Make a new start," he cast a glance at Piper, seeming to be sizing her up, "She looks fertile. Maybe a new child?" he suggested, but Gold and Piper, for all their talks of one day having a child, didn't glance at each other, not about to give him the satisfaction, "You and I both know that's the only future for you," Pan finished, "Assuming you want to live," he took a deep breath and started backing away, "Enjoy the eggs," he offered, turning to walk away.

Piper and Gold were silent a long while before Piper glanced at him, seeing him glaring in the direction Pan had gone, "Does it make me evil to want to stab him in the eye with my pipe?"

Gold glanced at her and cracked a smile, "Makes you my Pip."

~8~

Piper was sitting on the ground, her lower back against a small log, a small smile on her face despite the circumstances. Mostly it was due to how she and Gold were positioned. He was on his back, on the ground, his head in her lap as she ran her hands through his hair. He was staring up at the stars through the trees, just taking a moment to gather his strength, allowing her to relish in the fact that he felt comfortable enough and trusted her enough to appear vulnerable around her. The moment Pan disappeared, Gold had wanted to go after Henry, to march into the camp and get his grandson back just like they'd done with Neal earlier.

He'd wanted Henry back, then focus on Neal, then focus on getting to the others. She understood that logic, Neal was separated from the others, Pan had revealed enough to let them know that he'd taken Henry and Neal back. Neal would need more of their help than Mary Margaret and Emma being out there in a group. He'd wanted to just storm the camp, fully prepared to die, but she'd made him stop. As much as she wanted to get her nephew back, they had to regroup, they had to plan. Pan would likely not fall for the same trick as before so they needed to be sure that they would be able to get Henry out. All they had to do was get to Henry and he'd be safe, because once he was with them, they would just be the three of them, without someone trying to clobber them over the head with a branch to escape his trapped father.

Oh she was going to be having words with Neal about that next time she saw him. She didn't care if she wasn't the boy's biological mother, she didn't care if she, technically, wasn't even his stepmother yet, she was going to give him a sound scolding, and perhaps a slap on the head, for what he'd done.

But that was just it, she was angry and frustrated, Gold was riled up because of Pan. If they stormed the camp right at that very moment, Pan would win, undoubtedly. Her music might be stronger than Pan's, but the boy DID have other magic, and while the Dark One was equally as powerful in that regard, Pan clearly knew how to manipulate him and get to him. She needed to be calmer and he needed to be more put together.

"How should we go about this?" she murmured, glancing down at him, seeing the wheels turning in his head already, knowing that he was nearly finished gathering his thoughts and pulling himself together at the moment.

"I don't know," he admitted, "Pan is…clever."

"Not more clever than you," she gave him a soft smile, one that widened when she saw him smile as well, "Whatever we do, Rummy, we shall see it through together."

Gold looked at her, tilting his head just slightly, reaching up one of the hands that had been resting on his stomach to touch her face, "Would you think less of me to say that I can't help but think of Milah right now?"

"It would depend on the context," she admitted.

He let out a breath, "If you had been her…she would be the first to say leave the island, take Pan's offer, and get off the island."

"Yes, well Milah left rather a lot to be desired in terms of what it means to be a mother and part of a family," Piper remarked.

"I was merely thinking…I'm glad you're not her Pip," he continued, "I'm glad you're you. Milah…she had no qualms abandoning her husband and son, I don't doubt she would abandon her grandson as well. But not you," he gazed at her softly, "Bae isn't your boy, Henry isn't your grandson but a distant family relation and yet you would fight Peter Pan himself, you would gouge his eye out with your pipe just to see them safe."

"Because family is important," she reiterated, "Just as I said to Pan, it is not made up of just blood. I love Baelfire, because he is of YOU Rummy, and I love Henry as my nephew, perhaps even like a son, because he is that close to me. I would never, ever ask you to leave not just Henry, but your family behind."

"And I love that about you Pip," he told her quietly, "I've wondered, at times, if things might have been different, if you had been with me when I first began," he looked down to his other hand, Piper's free hand having come to rest on his, his own starting to absently play with her fingers, "If I had used my magic to bring you to me then," he knew it was daft to say, magic couldn't be used to travel in time, not like that, cheep tricks, portals to other realms, perhaps, but things ought not be changed when it came to time travel, "If I would have lost Bae then, If we would have been together all that time. If I had had your love then, what would have become of me now."

"It does not do to dwell on the past Rummy," she murmured, "We shall never know nor should we. What we have now is what, I think, we were meant to have. You did not need me then, not like now."

He nodded, lifting her hand from his chest to kiss the back of it…when a twig cracked and a fireball came flying at them.

"Enough of this!" Regina's voice shouted, another fireball in her hand, ready to be fired at Piper, but Gold was on his feet in an instant, a magical barrier coming up around them.

"Regina!" he shouted.

"Are you really going to fall for this?" Regina demanded, trying to magically choke Piper, seeing her lifting her pipe in preparation to use it, but the barrier kept her magic from reaching the girl.

"What are you doing?" Gold glared at her.

"Do you have any idea who you're really dealing with in there?" Regina turned her gaze on Piper, "Do you really believe that's the Piper? What is this? Amateur hour? That's Pan's shadow!"

"No it isn't," Gold spat, "I've dealt with Pan's shadow already, that IS Piper."

Regina looked at Piper a moment longer, "Prove it."

Piper glanced at Gold and nodded, instructing him to drop the barrier, "Would you prefer me to use my song on you or some sort of information only I and Rummy could know?"

"Information," Regina demanded, if it really was Piper, she did NOT want to deal with being magically afflicted by the woman's music.

Piper smirked, "The dagger," she began, "The Dark One's dagger that you and mother dearest were so set to obtain…was a fake."

Regina's lips pursed at that and looked to Gold, only one look needed really, the expression on his face telling her everything she needed to know, that the dagger truly HAD been a fake. She felt her hands clench into fists at that, to think of ALL the trouble they'd gone through to get that dagger and then to find out it was a fake!?

"Now, I believe it is only fair to offer information in return," Piper smirked, "What are YOU doing here? We are well aware that you were on the island, I could hear you, Snow, and the others from here, but what are YOU doing here, with us, away from them?"

"I couldn't stand it there any longer," Regina admitted, her concern for her son getting in the way of her need to strangle the life out of the smirking blonde girl before her, "I've been camping with the Charmings for a week and getting _nowhere_. If we're gonna get Henry, I need you," she swallowed hard, looking very much as though her next words were going to be either physically painful or make her ill…or both, "I need both of you, the Pied Piper and Rumpelstiltskin."

"Why us?" Piper tilted her head, curious.

"Because Pan's shadow got Mary Margaret to admit to something that struck a cord," Regina rolled her eyes, "We are villains. WE do what the heroes don't have the balls to do. I can't work with them, because they'll go bleeding their little hearts over everything. But us," she gestured to the three of them, "We won't care enough to stop."

"You're right," Gold spoke, nearly shocking Regina with that, "Rumpelstiltskin can only stop Pan by dying."

"You're not gonna die at anyone's hands but my own," Regina scoffed, "We're the two most powerful practitioners of magic who have ever lived and she's…" she gestured at Piper, "A living banshee," she offered, Piper shrugging as though she didn't really care what she was called, it was near enough, she could screech like one if she had to, and it DID have the same effect as a banshee's scream, bleeding from the ears was a rather distracting method of incapacitating people, "The Evil Queen, the Dark One, and the Pied Piper joining forces? I'd say we can find another way to handle one smug teenager."

"You've never faced him," Gold shook his head, "I have. And I know what killing him requires. And that is? My life."

"Must we kill him then?" Piper asked the question that had been knocking about in the back of her mind, making them both look at her, "As much as I would revel in the chance of seeing the life drain out of that irritating boy's eyes, if his life means your life Rummy…" she glanced at him, "Can we not just…STOP him instead?"

"Maybe we can find something to contain him," Regina started to nod, grasping what Piper was saying, "Sentence him to some other fate."

"…a fate worse than death," Gold murmured to himself, his mind racing with thoughts of what it might mean if they went this route instead. He'd come to Neverland, prepared to do anything to save Henry, even if it meant he died…he had accepted that, to kill Pan would mean potentially killing himself as well. But Piper was right, stopping someone didn't always have to mean killing them.

"Now we're talking," Regina grinned, "There's my malevolent imp."

"Do you know of a spell like that Rummy?" Piper asked.

"No," he shook his head, but looked at Piper, "But back in my shop, I might have just the thing…"

She gave him a curious look, about to ask what it was in particular, a few objects in his shop coming to mind for something like this, but Regina had stormed over to slap him on the arm, "Well, why didn't you bring it with you in the first place?!"

"Because I came here to kill him," Gold told her, "And that means being prepared to die in the process!"

"Well, I could've told you that wasn't gonna happen," Regina nearly laughed at that, "You forget, dear, I've known you a long time. I know all about your survival instincts and your attachment to…her," he nodded her head at Piper, "So now we just need a change of plans. We need to get back to your shop, pick up this magical item, and then all of our problems are solved."

"Crossing realms?" Gold rolled his eyes, "Is that all?"

Piper looked up at them, a thought hitting her, "It…might be."

Gold turned to her, "What do you mean Pip?"

She took a breath and gave him a solemn look, "What about the Sirens?" she broached the subject of something that had been niggling in the back of her mind since they'd captured the squid, she really didn't like being that near the water, especially not when Neverland was more prone to mermaid and siren sightings.

"No," Gold shook his head, "We will NEVER call upon them."

"What about the Sirens?" Regina looked between them.

Even though Piper knew she was asking why Gold was so against it, she countered with, "They can travel realms. Them and mermaids."

Regina started to smirk, "Then I may know just how to get what we need."

~8~

Gold kept his arm around Piper as they walked along the edge of the lagoon, the same one that Neal had led them to earlier to collect the squid ink. Regina was walking along the shoreline, her gaze on the sand, looking for something, picking up the same conch shell that Neal had found.

"If you think summoning a giant squid is the answer," Gold cut in, not entirely sure what Regina was planning, but keeping Piper more close to himself. He knew his reaction had tipped off Regina, likely made her realize they had some bad dealings with the Sirens, that it was because of Piper, if she dared offer Piper to the Sirens in exchange for help, he would kill her, "We've already tried that."

"Oh, you've had fun, haven't you?" Regina smirked at him, "I have no intention of ordering calamari," she told him, before raising the shell to her lips and blowing a low tune out to the sea. A moment later a woman with red hair popped up out of the water, a mermaid, "Hello, Ariel," the girl glared at Regina, "Long time."

"Mermaids and Sirens are not species that are easily to be trusted," Piper warned, something she was sure Regina already knew.

"This one can be trusted," Regina tossed the shell to the side, "We have history together."

"Well, that would explain the distasteful look on her face," Gold remarked.

"And now she's going to help us," Regina looked at Ariel who opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out of her mouth, "Oh, right, your voice," she waved her hand and Ariel hesitated a moment before speaking.

"Why would I help you?" Ariel spat.

"Because I can give you what you want. I can give you legs, Ariel," Regina waved her hand and a small seashell decorated bracelet appeared on Ariel's wrist, "And this time, control over them. But more importantly, I can give you what you need most."

"What?" Ariel hesitated, listening now.

"The place I'm sending you among its residents is your Prince Eric."

Piper glanced at Gold, who didn't seem to know what the story was for this mermaid and her prince any more than she did, "What's the name of this place?" Ariel asked, pulling their attention back to her.

"Storybrooke," Regina smiled.

"What is she going to get from the shop Rummy?" Piper inquired, knowing that Gold kept most of his more useful objects well hidden and, depending which object it was, it could be impossible to find, even with instructions.

"Pandora's Box," Gold told her quietly.

Piper stared at him a long while, not for the object he needed…but because another thought had hit her. There were only two people who knew where he'd hidden that box…and only one of them could breathe underwater with the help of a sea creature. She swallowed hard and looked at the water with trepidation as a pit settled in her stomach as she realized what this meant…

SHE was going back to Storybrooke.

A/N: Oooh...I wonder how Piper will fair in the open seas with just a mermaid to protect her }:) I was debating having the shadow-Piper stay with Emma and the group longer, really get the juicy secrets to report back to Pan, but I felt like the second that Emma found out Neal was alive she'd instantly react to Piper about why she said nothing and it would be too much suspicion for the shadow to know that they wouldn't be allowed to overhear them. I'm very much looking forward to the next episode though ;)

Some notes on reviews...

I'm glad you're enjoying the stories and Piper's character :) Oh the Hook keeps poking at me. Like I have only a few more chapters to write to be done with all the stories I want to post for the rest of this year and she keeps going, 'write me! write me!' I may have to write her first thing after I finish :)

I think Piper would be a little more comfortable around Hook after seeing him protecting her nad caring about her. I can say Snow might have a hand in Piper easing up on Hook ;) I can say that there will be a point where Piper will semi-bond with Regina, due to a past event that happened to her that Regina will also endure. And I can say that the finale may just have a semi-surprising reaction from Piper that involves Regina ;) But that's all I can say about them for now ;)


	12. Mothers and Daughters

Mothers and Daughters

"Mother!" Snow White cheered as she and her cousin, Rose Red, rushed into the throne room of the castle, a handful of flowers in their hands, some from the gardens (which they were sure they'd be reprimanded for) and some from the forests, wild flowers and snowbells and roses and many others.

The Queen had been secretly planning a birthday ball for her husband and Snow had wanted to help, being 9 years old she felt that, because she was so close to double digits, she was old enough to do so. Rose Red had insisted that if Snow was old enough, then so was she. The Queen had smiled lovingly at the both of them for wanting to help and had instructed them to gather some flowers for centerpieces.

"My, my, my," Eva smiled, looking down at the mounds of flowers in their arms, "What do we have hear dears?"

"Mother we gathered flowers," Snow beamed up at her, trying to hold up the flowers to see, though there were so many it was hard to lift them all.

"Did we do good?" Rose looked up at her aunt as well.

"Oh my dears," Eva knelt down before them, gesturing for them to place the flowers on the ground between them, spreading them out so that she could look, "Oh I believe you have done a most wonderful job."

"Really?" Snow looked at her mother with wide eyes, so pleased that she had been able to help like that.

"Oh yes," Eva nodded, opening her arms to Snow and hugging her tightly, "These flowers are just perfect my love," she told her daughter, settling her beside her and touching her nose, "You and your cousin have gathered so many different kinds I'm sure we'll make one of the most magnificent bouquets that your father has ever seen."

"Truly?" Snow breathed, just imagining the wide smile on her father's face when he saw her hand in all this.

"Mhmm," Eva nodded, looking to Rose and opening her other arm for the girl to come snuggle up beside her like Snow was doing, "You both have such a talent for this, you had best be careful with it else you put the royal florist and the gardeners out of a job."

"Oh mother I would never do that," Snow shook her head, earnest, looking to her mother as though she were the most amazing thing she'd seen, a similar look reflected back at her from her mother.

"That is very thoughtful of you," Eva tickled Snow's stomach a moment, "Now, I think I will need you girls to help me with this endeavor," she glanced between them, "Would you be willing to put aside some of your play time to help me?"

"Of course mother!" Snow cheered as Rose merely nodded, not quite the most talkative girl, but that was fine with Eva, she loved both those girls so much and accepted them for all that they were.

"Well then," Eva leaned in, making the girls unconsciously do the same, acting as though she were sharing an important secret, "Your father is going to be out with his brother till nightfall, so we must be sure to have our bouquets ready by then. That is what I need your help with girls, we must separate the flowers into five stacks. And we must try to get the flowers as even as possible. So, how about we count the flowers and separate them into types first?"

"I'll take the snowbells!" Snow volunteered.

"I thought you might like them," Eva smiled, "Rose, dear, would you like the…"

"Roses?" Rose guessed, letting out a long sigh and crossing her arms, pouting slightly, but nodded, "That's ok."

Eva chuckled lightly at that, "Thank you dear, you know," she leaned in, whispering loudly to her, "I trust you the most with the roses."

Rose blinked at her aunt, "You do?" she asked, sounding as though she hadn't been expecting that the roses would be such an important task.

"Oh yes," Eva nodded, utterly serious, though Snow was grinning widely as she watched her mother be so caring and considerate of her niece, "The roses are the most delicate, yet resilient of flowers, it takes a special girl to be able to take care of them properly."

"And…that's me?" Rose pointed to herself.

"I am certain of it," she smiled at the girl, "You two take the snowbells and Roses, I shall focus on the wild flowers, tulips, and daffodils."

The girls nodded and started to help her sort through the flowers. Where the queen was separating and keeping track as she did so, the girls both separated the flowers first and then countered their piles. In the end there were 16 snowbells, 17 roses, 44 wildflowers, and 18 daffodils and tulips each.

"Hmmm," Eva hummed, looking at the piles, sitting on the floor with the girls on either side of herself.

"What do we do mother?" Snow asked, "There aren't an even amount for 5 bouquets."

"Well," Eva began, "We can put three snowbells, daffodils, tulips, and roses in each and, perhaps, 5 wildflowers as well."

"But that leaves…" Snow's face scrunched in concentration.

"Take it flower by flower my love," Eva began, "16 snowbells, three in each, with 5 bouquets…"

"1 snowbell left," Snow worked it out.

"17 roses, 3 in each, 5 bouquets…"

"2 left."

"For the daffodils and tulips that would be the same amount, so if there were 18, with 3 in each, and the same 5 bouquets?"

"3 left!" Snow cheered, starting to feel excited that she was getting it right, Rose just looked confused, which was understandable, math wasn't her strong suit, she didn't see the point in it just yet.

"Ah but the wildflowers," Eva held up a finger, "If there were 44, and we put 5 in 5 bouquets…that leaves…"

Snow bit her lip, thinking, "5 flowers in 5 bouquets," she mumbled to herself, "That's…25 flowers. And…and 44 that we started with is…is…" she gasped, "19 wildflowers left!" she blinked, "But mother, couldn't we put, um…8 flowers in the bouquets? Then we would only have 4 left. Rose and I could make small wrist bands of the flowers!" she grinned at her mother, thinking the idea to make small bracelets would be one her mother would enjoy.

"I think I might have an idea you'll like sweetheart," Eva glanced around, looking as though she were making sure no one was listening, the servants smiling as they saw the queen interacting with the girls, and leaned in, the girls doing the same, "What if we make you both some lovely crowns instead?"

"Flower crowns?" Rose tilted her head.

"Oh they would look lovely on you both," Eva nodded, reaching forward to separate the flowers into their 5 bouquets so that they had the leftover flowers before them, the other servants coming to gather the bouquets to go off to vases.

Snow and Rose sat beside the queen, watching as she gathered up the wildflowers first, expertly weaving 9 of them along each other, making a delicate ring of flowers. She carefully slipped two roses into one, along with two daffodils and one tulip, as she went, spacing them out and creating a lovely pattern. She did much the same for the other crown, but used the snowbell right in the front, with the last daffodil and two of the tulips as well.

"There," Eva smiled, holding up the two wreaths, to the girls, "One for my dearest Snow," she held up the one with the snowbell in it, placing it lightly on her daughter's head, "And one for my lovely Rose," she grinned, placing the rose crown onto Rose's head, "Oh my girls, you look so beautiful," she smiled so softly at them, so much love in her eyes that Snow felt her own filling with tears.

Snow leaned forward to hug her mother, to thank her for the flower crown…when her hand fell on one forgotten wildflower, the only flower that hadn't been used. She looked down and smiled widely when she saw that that particular flower was a light blue, the same shade, she knew, as the dress her mother would wear that night. She curled up on her knees and lifted the wildflower to her nose, sniffing it before beaming at her mother and reaching forward, lightly putting the flower behind her mother's ear.

"It goes well with your eyes," she told her mother in a gentle breath, and it did, her mother had the brightest eyes she'd ever seen. She had inherited her father's green eyes, the same eyes that her uncle and cousin had, a forest green shade, but that flower really did make her mother's eyes look even more beautiful.

"And your crown, my love," Eva reached out, touching Snow's cheek, "It matches you perfectly," she laughed lightly, "Your innocence and heart, your eyes and strength and spirit. Don't ever change my Snow."

"I won't mother," Snow promised, leaning in to hug her mother tightly, her mother holding her just as strongly.

Eva opened her eyes, cracked one open to see Rose sitting there and held out a hand to the girl as well, tugging Rose to her to give her a hug as well, laughing when she 'accidently' fell backwards with the girls, making them squeal and giggle, especially when she rolled over and started to tickle their stomachs.

~8~

Rose Red sat behind a harp, 9 years old, playing it lightly as her mother and Snow sat in the music room of her castle, listening on. She wasn't much a fan of the harp, of any string instrument really, but her mother had insisted that she learn some instruments and, once she had started, it was like she couldn't stop, she just felt…something when she played. It was like there was a magic in her that came alive when she used the music, when she morphed it in her hands and her breath and her voice and it was getting stronger.

She opened her eyes slightly, she made a point of trying to play with her eyes closed, to show her mother that she truly did know the pieces, know each and every note and where it was. She could see her mother sitting there on a small cushioned chair…and smiled. Her mother was sitting there rigidly, her back ramrod straight, her hands resting daintily on her lap. Her gown was a dark blue, almost black, but when the light struck it, it seemed almost sea-blue, like the ocean just after a storm, not gray as before it but a deep blue. Her hair was straight, blonde, falling over her shoulders and only barely styled. She had a delicate crown on her head, a small joke between her father and mother, a circlet of waves crafted in the metal with small blue gems in it. They matched her eyes, a deep, rich blue, shining like sapphires and focused on her and only her as she played. Her mother's gown was very fitted, but as modest as it could be despite that. Sirens were naturally alluring, they were meant to be, meant to draw people in and make them vulnerable, her mother's style reflected that. But her role as queen prevented her from wearing some of the dresses she knew her mother would prefer to wear.

She was sitting regally, but unmoving. Her body was still, her head turned slightly to the side, as though she were listening intently to the song being played. Her eyes were locked one the hands on the strings, intent, watching for even the slightest falter or mistake. Her expression was blank, but focused in a way, there was no smile on her face, her lips in a soft line, her skin unblemished and pale.

Rose knew most would look at the woman, her stillness, her fixation and feel unnerved by it, she could see Snow beside her, in a simple white gown, fidgeting from being so close to her aunt and have her not move. She was very used to having a siren for an aunt, was used to some of the same traits she saw in her cousin as they came from her mother, but she was more used to her aunt engaging her, talking and walking and moving and to sit so still, especially for Snow, was difficult to attain. Rose felt the corners of her lips quirk up at that and focused on what she was doing. Her mother was watching and she knew that her mother was paying attention, so she should too.

She strummed a few more notes, slowly bringing the song to an end with a light flourish of cords. She waited a moment, keeping her hands just to the sides of the strings until the last of the notes had drifted into the silence of the room, before she dropped her hands slowly to her lap and stood up, stepping to the side of the harp and looking to her mother.

The queen was silent for a moment, eyeing her daughter, before she took a deep breath and stood. Snow watched, fidgeting more as she slowly stood, her aunt move towards Rose, till she was standing before her. The edge of the room had a slight rise to it, like small steps to a platform that ran around the edge of the room, making Rose the same height as her mother when she stood on the lower ground. The queen looked into Rose's eyes, before smiling. It was a small smile, a mere quirk of the lips but it had Rose beaming to see. She reached out and took Rose's hands, turning them over to examine them, her fingers lightly ghosting over the finger tips of her daughter. Rose's smile grew soft, so many people would look at them and see a queen that was only focused on how well her daughter played the harm, on how well the calluses on her fingers were developing, but she knew differently.

Sirens were naturally distant in personality, appearing cold and seductive, but family was the most important thing to them. There was a gentleness in her mother's touch, she was genuinely looking at her fingers to make sure she hadn't harmed herself in the calluses. There was a pride in her mother's eyes when she looked upon her, a softness in her smile that she could see no matter how small the smile might appear. The way her mother treated her, it was subtlety that meant the world to her. Many never expected it of the queen, they didn't know how to read her actions and looks, but SHE did.

"I did well?" she smiled at her mother, not really having to ask, she knew that she'd blown her mother away with her latest performance, she knew her mother was exceptionally thrilled with it, but she did like to ask. If just for Snow's benefit. Sometimes her cousin had a hard time seeing what she did.

The queen reached out, brushing a lock of her daughter's golden hair behind her ear, allowing her hand to linger on her daughter's cheek, "You were exquisite," she told Rose, her voice was slightly deep. To others it might sound cold, rough, harsh almost, but she heard the pride in it, the emotion that was clouding it. Her mother's voice only got that deep when she was truly touched by something in a good way.

She bit the bottom of her lip in excitement of having made her mother proud like that, "I practiced for days," she told her.

"It shows," the queen nodded regally, still holding her daughter's other hand, squeezing it, "Your dedication and focus will be the key to your success in all things, daughter."

Rose could see Snow let out a small sigh at that, at how she'd been called 'daughter.' Not my love, or sweetheart, or my dear, or any of the other pet names that Eva called Snow. But that was it, they weren't the same queen and they weren't the same mother. HER mother called her daughter, because to a siren that was the greatest name to be called, that was a sign of family, of the closest family, YOUR child. To sirens, a child was their greatest treasure, to be protected at all costs, to be cherished. When her mother called her simply 'daughter' it was her way of expressing how much she loved her.

"I'm pleased I made you happy," Rose told her mother quietly.

The queen smiled more this time, lifting her other hand to touch her daughter's cheek as well, "You always do," she told her, "This is no day that shall come where you shall not."

Rose leaned in, resting her forehead to her mother's, able to hear Snow shifting now. They were cousins yes, they claimed to be sisters, but they were both very different and they both had very different relationships with their mothers, they both expressed them in different ways as well. Where Snow had likely taken her mother's words as a small…expectation, that she ought not disappoint the queen, her mother, in the future. That she was holding her daughter to the standard that she would always perform this well, that she would always make her happy or should endeavor to, she knew differently. Her mother's tone would make Snow think that it was expectation that the woman was holding her to, but she knew it was just her mother's way of saying that she would always be proud of her, no matter what. She knew it was her mother's way of telling her that just being there, just being her child, her daughter, made her happier than anything. It was her mother's way of telling her that everything she had given up, her life in the sea, her family of Sirens, was worth it to have HER. SHE made her mother happy, when everything about her mother's past should have meant her life was sad. To be exiled from her home, to have her family consider her a traitor, to be surrounded by men and women that didn't quite trust her…but her life was full of happiness, because of HER.

And even this, this resting of her forehead to her mother's, this was their version of a hug. This was a closeness, a sign of shared feelings, of shared thoughts. It was a symbol of equality as well. To hug, for her being a child, meant a height difference, meant her arms were smaller, she was tinier than her mother. But to rest her forehead to her mother's, it meant that they were on equal ground, equal height, neither was much larger than the other or more important like that.

"Come," the queen breathed, pulling away and taking her hand once more, "We shall to dine now," she stated, looking over at Snow. She helped her daughter down from the small platforms and squeezed her hand before letting go of it to join her hands before her and starting to walk, her pace slow enough for the girls to keep pace on either side of her.

Rose could see Snow move her hands behind her, knowing the girl wasn't used to walking without holding someone's hand, but also knowing Snow didn't want to hold hands right now, having lost her mother only a year ago. But she knew that Snow also wasn't quite understanding of why her cousin and aunt didn't typically hold hands when they walked when SHE and her mother had done it all the time. It was because Sirens weren't usually touchy, they could learn to be, and perhaps one day her mother would be, but she wasn't quite there yet. But this was her way of showing that she considered her daughter in everything she did. She slowed her pace intentionally, walking beside her daughter instead of ahead of her.

Rose smiled as she looked ahead, she knew, from the small things, that her mother loved her dearly.

~8~

Regina sat across from her mother in Snow White's castle, having tea with her, or trying to at least. It was…difficult to sit there, across from the woman that had torn out the heart of her true love and crushed it to dust right in front of her. But her mother had insisted on an early tea…the very next morning, and if she didn't show up…

She closed her eyes, her hand coming up to her mouth, to the scar on her lip. Her mother did not like to be disappointed, did not like her daughter to be disobedient. Once, when she had been younger, she had been so tired from a riding lesson, had just started learning to jump with the horse, and not wanted to stop till she'd gotten it. She'd come in and her mother had gone off on her for how sweaty and smelly she was, claiming she smelled like a barn, which she would, she'd been in the stables. She'd told her mother that, if she'd let her go to her room and bathe as she had been on the way to do, perhaps she could save herself the wasted time in criticizing her about something she already knew and was going to fix!

Her mother had slapped her.

Hard.

She'd been wearing rings as well, had cut her daughter's lip from the force of it. Regina had been shocked when her mother refused to heal it, even with her magic. It hadn't been the first time her mother had physically struck her, she had used magic on her as well to deal blows as well, but she always healed the ones that could be seen, the ones on her arms and hands and neck and cheek…but her mother refused this time. Told her that, every time she saw that scar on her lip, she'd think better of being anything less than presentable.

She swallowed hard and masked the move, the flinching move, to pretend it was to cover a yawn, opening her mouth only slightly to let it out.

"Oh Regina dear," Cora pursed her lips, "Close that gaping mouth of yours, you look like a harlot."

Regina's jaw tensed at that and snapped her mouth shut, her false-yawn cut off. She hadn't opened her mouth any wider than half an inch, had covered it with her hand, just as her mother instructed her was proper…and she still found fault with it. She could hear it now…

"Honestly Regina, if you came in at a decent hour instead of walking about at all hours of the night, perhaps you would be less tired come morning and more able to pay attention."

And there it was, exactly as she thought her mother would say. She looked down, not trusting herself to speak. If she said anything about the night, she would think of Daniel and she wouldn't be able to keep her pain in, she would shout and that would not do. Apparently she had a dress fitting later.

"I tire of having to tell you this, dear, I'd have thought after so many years you would be wiser than this, but it appears I have failed to instill any sense of decorum or sense in you. To walk about at night, well, you had best cease those nocturnal wanderings lest others think you a lady of the night instead."

"Mother!" Regina gasped, a gape escaping her as she stared at her mother, horrified at her implications, "You know very well where I was last night."

"You truly wish to bring THAT up Regina?" her mother tsked, "Actions have consequences dear. I had to protect your reputation."

"Mine or yours?"

"They are one in the same," Cora smiled, "You are my daughter, your reputation reflects upon me."

"As does my trajectory in life, I take it?" Regina fisted her dress, only to release the fabric a second later with a small gasp of pain as her mother sent a small flash of magic at her hands.

"Don't wrinkle the fabric dear," Cora warned her, "I'd rather not have to waste my magic just trying to make you constantly presentable though lord knows you need it."

"Yes mother," Regina bit out, looking down, feeling tears in her eyes, her mother hadn't answered her question. It was like she didn't even count Daniel as worth bringing up again, she knew her mother would never even apologize for it.

"Sit up straight," Cora ordered and Regina did so, closing her eyes. Cora leaned forward and lifted her chin, making her look at her, "Was that so hard dear? It can always be this easy, do as your mother says and everything shall be well."

Cora sat back, primly and properly in her chair, her back straight, her hands resting on her lap for only a moment before they lifted to a teacup on the table, carefully bringing it to her lips and taking a sip, "The king may be a man renowned for his kindness, but his taste is quite lacking."

Regina bit the inside of her cheek not to say anything, because her mother's gaze wasn't on the tea but on HER. She was looking her over, a disappointed look on her face, her eyes cold and distant, her lips pursed into a line, her eyes examining her as though looking for any sort of fault and finding every single minute detail of one. She should be used to this by now, she should be used to her mother finding fault in everything, she knew she wasn't the sort of daughter that her mother had wanted. She'd wanted a powerful, regal princess, and instead she got a timid horse lover.

"My apologies mother," Regina forced herself to speak, "I'll do better next time."

"Oh we both know that won't happen," Cora sighed, sounding like someone who had suffered a fate for too long now, "If you were going to do well at all, Regina, you would have started years ago."

"I'm sorry mother."

It was all she could say, it felt like that was all her life had been, apologizing to her mother and trying to gain her approval. The only thing that had kept her going was Daniel, that sweet boy who loved her despite her many, many faults, who claimed that not a single one of them existed save in Cora's own twisted mind. She wasn't so sure now, what use was there in denying her faults. The only person that actually looked at her and paid her any attention was her mother, and all she saw were faults, all she ever saw were faults. Perhaps that's all there ever was.

"I don't want your apologies, dear," Cora's lips pursed in displeasure, "I want an effort out of you," she slowly stood, looking down at her daughter, not even reaching out to her, not even bothering to touch her, "Don't ruin this chance," she eyed her daughter critically, before forcing her face to soften, "Regina, dear," she waited till Regina looked up, "Don't look so melancholy, you know I'm only harsh on you because I care about you. I want you to be happy dear, and this will be your happy ending. Now, come," she turned to walk away, not even waiting to see if Regina was following, expecting her to jump when she said, which Regina undoubtedly did, "We have to prepare you for your dress fitting."

She opened the door, about to step out, only to stop when she saw someone standing just outside the door, seeming about to knock, "Oh, Princess," Cora gave a small bowing curtsy, Regina mimicking her, "My dear what are you doing here?" the smile on her lips was tight.

Rose Red, just 11 years old, looked up at Cora a long moment, before her glance drifted to Regina. The door to the room had been open a crack, she had seen and heard everything. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but she was curious about this woman that would be her cousin's new mother, about the woman that was her mother as well. She wasn't sure she liked what she saw.

Cora reminded her slightly of her mother, or how she was sure other people saw her mother, but there was something undoubtedly…wrong…about Cora. Her voice was off, her expressions were lacking, her gestures were empty. She wasn't sure she liked Cora very much, she was rather mean. But Regina…looking at her now, Regina was doing her best to smile, but…she could see a sort of…fear in her eyes as they flickered to the back of her mother's head.

"I came to tell you the dressmakers were ready," she looked back at Cora, not letting on that she'd heard anything, trying her very best to give an innocent air to herself.

It seemed to work as Cora relaxed slightly, the fear seeming to leave Regina's eyes a moment later, "Well thank you dear," she smiled down at Rose, "Would you like to come with us?"

"No thank you," she said bluntly, "I'm supposed to get Snow," she added, realizing she probably sounded rude. She didn't particularly care if she did, but Snow would, because she liked Regina and she would be happy to find out that Regina was going to marry Daniel and that Cora seemed to agree to it, "She wants to see the dress."

"Well you're more than welcome to come and see it," Cora told her, not bothering to even lean down to her level to talk, "But we had best be on our way, see the dressmakers as soon as possible so Snow may see a more complete fitting."

Cora gave her one more smile before stepping past her and heading off, Regina hesitating a moment before hurrying on with her mother, leaving Rose Red to frown as she watched them go.

She really didn't like that Cora woman.

A/N: I really wanted to just take a chapter and look into the differences between the mother/daughter relationships between Snow, Piper, and even Regina. To sort of show how Snow was raised but also look at how a Siren might raise their child and compare it to Cora too. Cora seems almost as cold and unfeeling as a Siren might be, but without her heart I wanted to examine how that same sort of cold/distant personality comes out differently because of that. Sirens are so connected to their family in this story, I wanted to look at how someone like that would raise a child, and then look at how Cora treated Regina :(

Some notes on reviews...

I can say there'll be something in both finales (mid-season and the end) that will have Piper reconsidering things about Regina...as well as her own family ;)


	13. Dark Hollow

Dark Hollow

Piper was standing at the edge of the shore, looking down at the water, trying not to show how nervous she was about all this. Gold was a foot or two away, drawing a map in the sand for Ariel, who was now closer and able to see it, trying to show her where Storybrooke rested across realms, knowing that there would be little chance for any words to be said or directions to be given when Ariel was under water.

She genuinely wasn't sure about this, it was just…for so long the water had been as equal a source of alarm for her as fire was. For a good part of her life, she'd been…wary of the sea, because of her mother, because of how the Sirens would treat her if they caught her all because her mother had chosen a landwalker over her family. Much like, it appeared, Ariel had. She'd kept away from the waters, never going too near the salt water for fear of that. It had been one thing for it to be a tentative thought of what might happen, of how she might be treated. There was a chance, because it had been her mother that made the choice for land, that the Sirens would take pity on her or see her as giving her a choice, as they had (but only after her mother had passed). It was one thing to live her life second guessing and thinking about what may or may not happen if a Siren got hold of her.

It was different now. Because NOW she knew what was going to happen to her if a Siren got its hand on her. Or even a Mermaid. Ariel might be someone that Regina felt they could trust, and from what she saw, the fact that Ariel had fallen in love with a human as well, Ariel COULD be trusted not to hand her over to the Sirens. But that didn't take away from the fact that, once they were in the water, the others might be able to sense her through the waters, they might come after the two of them. And she knew there would be no forgiveness, no hesitation, there would be no arguing…the sirens would kill her this time. They would end her life brutally if they got their hands on her. It was why she may have 'freaked out' slightly when she and Neal landed just off the shore of the Enchanted Forest. She had been in a right state, trying to maneuver herself, with her arm in a sling, and helping keep Neal afloat, and get out of the water as fast as she could. She may have stumbled off the second they were on dry land, fallen to her knees just out of sight and had a small panic attack till she'd heard Aurora and Mulan speaking behind her.

But she was the only one that would be able to travel with Ariel off the island and find Pandora's Box. She was the only one that would be able to survive the distance underwater with the mermaid…but she was…scared. She could admit it, out there in the ocean, she wouldn't be able to play her music, she wouldn't have Gold with her to help her, she doubted Ariel had ever fought a day in her life so the woman being of any help to fend off other sea creatures would be next to nothing. She would be completely vulnerable, completely in the open, and completely…helpless. She loved Henry, she did, and she knew without a doubt that she WAS going to do this, because this was the only way to help save Henry and keep Gold alive as well, and she would do absolutely anything for the ones she loved, but she was scared.

She didn't _want_ to do this, but she had to. And she was going to.

"That's Storybrooke?" Ariel called, seeing Gold draw a large X on the sand, leaning over from where she was sitting on a small crop of rocks to get a better look.

"Can you get there?" Gold eyed her.

"It's far," Ariel frowned, considering it, "I'll have to cross over realms. But yes, I can make it."

"With me as well?" Piper looked at her.

Ariel nodded, "It shouldn't be too hard," she smiled.

"If all went according to plan and the wolf did as she was told," Gold began, "Storybrooke will be surrounded by a cloaking spell. When you arrive, surface close to the shore. Then you're inside its bounds."

"And your…Piper will find what we must bring back?" Ariel guessed.

"Yes," Piper swallowed, nodding, "I know where it is."

Gold glanced at her, "But you'll need a bit more help to retrieve it," he remarked, crouching down and picking up a small shell, holding his hand over it till it glowed gold and placed it into her hands, holding her hands with his own, "This will not just help you in the shop, dearie, it'll keep you safe in the sea as well."

Piper let out a breath she couldn't hold back and smiled at him, "Many thanks," she murmured.

Gold moved his hands from hers to her arms, rubbing them lightly, "I know how you feel about the sea Pip," he told her quietly, he could still recall that day, the fear he'd heard in her voice when she'd returned to him from the lair of the Sirens, she was truly scared…and yet she had said nothing about this, about quitting, about not going, because he knew that her desire to keep her family safe and keep him alive was what pushed her fear to the side if just for the time being, "I would not ever allow you to go if I wasn't sure that you would be safe. If I didn't uh, have another trick up my sleeve," he gave her a grin and a wink.

"I should have known," she mumbled, tilting her head forward to rest her forehead to his chest.

He chuckled slightly, "You should have," he pulled back slightly, "But I forgive you," he joked though his expression grew serious, "You are one of my greatest treasures Pip, I'm very…particular about the state of them, I like them to be in perfect condition. This shell…will keep you blocked, it will make it so that others cannot sense you in the water," it was a tricky charm, but one he'd been researching to learn since the Siren incident. It didn't last long, it should be long enough for the two trips though.

She smiled a little more at that and nodded, taking a breath before she stepped past him, closer to Ariel, but stopping at the edge of the water, "Are you ready to depart?"

"Storybrooke," Ariel recited, "Close to the shore. Got it," she nodded, but leaned to the side to look at Regina, "And Eric? Where will I find him in this new world?"

"Well, that comes after you've succeeded," Regina defended, standing beside Gold with her arms crossed, "Incentives are important. The bracelet will only give you legs for 24 hours."

"How do I know you'll uphold your end of the bargain when I'm back?"

"Guess you'll just have to trust me," Regina shrugged.

"Rummy and I shall ensure she upholds her end of the bargain," Piper assured Ariel, "We are both…firm believers in that."

Gold grinned darkly at that, thinking of quite a few rather delightful deals they'd each made in the past and the results that came with them being fulfilled and paid or others falling to debt. He stepped closer to the edge of the water, reaching out a hand to touch Piper's cheek, giving her a quick but meaningful kiss, "Good luck Pip," he breathed.

She gave him a kiss in return, "I shall see you soon Rummy," she promised, before looking at the water and stepping into it, Ariel joining her as close as she could get to the water and taking her hand, the two of them disappearing under the water as they departed.

~8~

Piper coughed terribly, knowing she probably looked like a flopping fish on land when she finally hit the shoreline of Storybrooke. The travel there had been uncomfortable, the most uncomfortable thing she'd experienced, being submerged for so long, the discomfort of having to breathe water. The only good thing was that they hadn't encountered any Sirens or Mermaids along the way, it was just her and Ariel, which was fine but now she was severely hating the travel.

"Back away, back away!" she could hear Leroy/Grumpy the Dwarf shouting as she was crowded around, Ariel kneeling beside her, her legs taking the place of her fins for the moment as she'd had to half-drag her onto the shore she'd had so much trouble breathing, "Give the lady some room," Leroy grunted, shoving his brother dwarves away. They'd been eating lunch, it appeared, and seen her and Ariel surface and run to see her, "You alright sister?"

Piper coughed even more, but managed to nod her head and push herself a little more onto her hands and knees.

Ariel gave her a sympathetic look and patted her back, before smiling at the dwarves, "Hi! I'm Ariel!"

"Yeah, nice to met ya," Leroy grumbled, before focusing on Piper, "But how did you two get here? Ruby put up that protection spell that Gold gave her and…"

"She…did?" Piper wheezed, managing more of a closed mouth cough this time, her voice going raspy and scratchy as she tried to swallow the rest of her coughs.

"Should worked," Leroy gave her a suspicious look, clearly his mind going to the fact that the Dark One gave them the spell so it had to have some sort of trick to it or that it was a trick in general, "Told us about Greg and Tamara, about Henry getting taken. Took us to the mines to put up the spell, said you all went to get him back, Snow and the prince, Rumpelstiltskin and Emma and Hook…said you and the Dark One's boy fell through a different portal."

"We did," Piper nodded, "And they did."

Happy frowned, "Belle's very upset that Gold left," he told her, as though he expected the woman to be sympathetic to Belle's plight and hurt, "We think she misses him."

"She's crazy," Leroy rolled his eyes, as though it were a mad idea to miss the Dark One, "No offense sister."

"I just meant I think she wanted to help," Happy held up his hands, "And she's sad that he didn't think she could. I don't like when people are sad."

"Forgive me if I care not for your poor Belle's sorrow," Piper cut in, wincing a moment, letting out a breath, slowly starting to try and breathe in and out, wincing slightly as she did so but managing only slight coughs as a result, "I have not the patience to hear your qualms with Belle and Rummy," she swallowed hard and pushed herself up to sit back more, "But we have larger problems to deal with. Greg and Tamara…were working for Peter Pan," she told them, "And now Pan's got Henry and I…I have to get something from Rummy's shop so they can stop him."

"Good luck with that," Leroy scoffed, "The shop's closed. Sealed with magic. No one can get into it."

"You underestimate the trust he puts in me," Piper grumbled, shoving herself up to her feet and turning to walk towards the town.

Ariel looked at the Dwarves as they gave her a look for her outfit, a small purple and a shimmery torn skirt, both she and Piper soaked. She gave them an embarrassed but equally bright smile and stood, hurrying after Piper.

~8~

Piper opened the door to Gold's shop, stepping into it with ease, though she'd had to pause and reach through the magical barrier that had sprung up around Ariel to allow her into the building as well. Now, she was studiously ignoring Ariel as the mermaid looked around at the treasure trove of 'wonders' while she focused on finding the box.

"Look at this stuff!" Ariel gasped, wandering around, shelf to shelf, picking up odds and ends here.

But Piper was silent, pulling her pipe from her boot and sighing when she saw it was full of water, heading over to a small rag and starting to dry it off, her pipe worked fine, wet or dry, but the sound was slightly off when it was damp and she needed to dry it off as much as she could to find the box, knowing it was enchanted to be hidden.

"Your…" Ariel trailed off, not sure what to call Gold. Was it Gold? Rumpelstiltskin? Rummy? The Dark One? She truly didn't know, "Well, he's got a very large collection going," she smiled, "It reminds me of home. I had this one cavern, ooh I filled it with so many thingamabobs and whatchamacallits and…"

"Silence would be appreciated," Piper cut in, getting a small wire and using it to string the rag through her pipe to clean the inside of it.

Ariel nodded a moment, trying to keep quiet, trying to give the woman the silence she wanted to work in…but there were so many things there and she didn't know what they were called! Like the large bead with the swirly metal in it, "This is a…" she turned, holding it up to Piper.

Piper glanced up, unamused, "Corkscrew," she answered, figuring that Ariel would fall quieter if she gave her the actual name instead of leaving her to try and make up names for it.

Ariel nodded, glancing at the corkscrew innocently and held it up more, "Is this it? Is this what the Dark One wanted?"

"No."

"Then…what is it?" Ariel asked.

"A box."

"Like this one?!" Ariel hurried to a different box, a small set of boxes of varying sizes, holding them up to her.

"No."

Ariel pouted at that, but moved to put the boxes down, only knocking over another object in the process, making Piper roll her eyes at it. Perhaps it was a good thing she had never taken to the sea, Ariel clearly still had yet to get her 'landlegs' if she was that clumsy.

"Sorry," Ariel blushed, picking up the object that had fallen, "Ooh, it's a button!"

"No," Piper answered before Ariel could even ask if it was from the box, the mermaid having turned to her with the button held up in the air to ask just that.

Ariel nodded and move to put the button back, when the design on it caught her attention, "Funny…" she murmured.

"What?" Piper glanced at her, not quite sure how anything in that shop could be considered funny or laughable.

"Oh um," Ariel smiled, holding up the button, "Eric, he…he had one just like it on his jacket when I rescued him."

Piper eyed her a moment, "Eric is your landwalker?"

Ariel started to nod, before she blinked and looked at Piper with wide eyes, "You said landwalker."

"Yes."

"That's what Mermaids and Sirens call the humans," Ariel frowned at her.

"I would have thought the fact that I was able to breathe under the water with you was indicative that I was not, entirely, human," Piper stated.

Ariel blushed in embarrassment, "I thought it was that shell that the Dark One gave you that allowed you to do that."

Piper let out a breath, "No. I am…half Siren."

"Siren," Ariel's eyes widened more.

"My mother and a landwalker," she murmured, turning away from Ariel to pull the rag out of the pipe, "Before she was killed by the Evil Queen.."

"I take it you chose a landwalker as well?" Ariel asked quietly after a moment, her voice soft, empathetic, as though she knew about the Sirens, about the offer that they'd made her, that she had clearly turned it down.

"Yes."

Ariel looked at Piper a long while before she glanced at the button once more, smiling softly, feeling like she understood the woman a little more, like she could trust her just that much more to ensure Regina did give her her legs. If the woman's mother was a Siren and chose a human, and she was half and chose a human, she would understand what it meant to do so, to pick a landwalker. SHE would ensure, as she was sure the Dark One would as well given how sweet he seemed on the girl, that Regina would fulfill her bargain.

"Eric is a prince," Ariel added, "I fell in love with him a long time ago. But…it didn't work out."

"Regina got in the way?" Piper guessed, not entirely sure why she was speaking to Ariel when she'd asked for quiet only moments ago.

"Yes," Ariel's smile fell as she thought on that day, how she'd helped save Snow White and, to repay her debt, Snow had taken her to Eric's ball.

She'd met the man that she'd saved months before from a shipwreck, and he'd remembered her or thought he'd seen her in a vision. He'd asked her to go with him, to see the world, and she'd prayed for legs. A woman, half woman and half octopus came to her, she'd thought it was Ursula, the sea goddess, but it was Regina in disguise. She'd tricked her into giving Snow the bracelet she wore now, to give Snow a tail and give HER legs. Regina had used it to trap Snow, had been about to kill her when she'd managed to injure the woman and get Snow to the ocean where they'd escaped. As revenge though, when she had gone to tell Eric the truth about her, Regina cursed her to be without her voice, unable to get Eric's attention.

"She does that," Piper spoke quietly, "Especially with Snow."

"You know Snow White?!" Ariel's eyes widened.

Piper glanced at her, "She is my cousin," she informed her, her expression growing just slightly warmer, "Many thanks, for saving her."

Ariel smiled at that, "It was my pleasure."

Piper gave her a nod and looked at her pipe, it should be dry enough to make the box and its hiding place visible by now. She set the rag down and lifted the pipe to her lips, playing a gentle tune as she stepped towards the counter in the back of the shop, moving behind it and watching as a light began to glow on the floor, forming a square. She played a few more notes, waiting till the light had solidified and a small trap door was left in the wood before she let the song fade away. Gold had made any object in his shop that he had hidden with magic accessible to her, her songs or his magic were the only things able to reveal them.

She stuck her pipe back into her boot and crouched down, opening the small false board and lifted it up, revealing a small box underneath that was etched and craved with intricate designs around the corners and sides of it, a gem on the top of it that was dark even in the daylight.

"It's a box," Ariel stared, "Is it the box we came for?"

Piper nodded, "Pandora's Box," she explained, "It can contain the world's darkest evils."

"Shouldn't you be wearing gloves or something?" Ariel frowned, concerned.

"Perhaps if I had a light soul," she murmured, "Dark souls can touch dark objects."

Ariel's face scrunched, "If you have a…dark soul, can you not touch light objects?"

"Light objects are rarely ever cursed the way the dark ones are," Piper shook her head, "I can touch anything, light or dark, those with lighter souls, at times, cannot touch darker objects depending if they are cursed as such."

"Oh, right," Ariel nodded, as though any of that made sense to her, "Do we open it then?"

"Not yet. Rummy will need it as it is to stop Pan…" she stiffened a moment, "And you boys had better turn around and leave or else you shall not like what you find here," she threatened, spinning around to glare at the two young boys that had tried to sneak into the shop behind them, both with guns in their hands that they quickly raised.

"All that trouble for a box?" the taller of the two, with black rimmed glasses, asked, his voice holding a British accent with it.

"Who are you?" Ariel frowned.

"The people you tried to keep out of Storybrooke," the smaller of the two boys, slightly plump, with a more shaking hand than his clearly older brother, spoke.

"You truly think those guns of yours mean anything?" Piper asked, stepping closer, resting the box against the counter, her hands still holding it.

"What's a gun?" Ariel whispered, but Piper ignored her.

"You wanna find out?" the shorter boy turned his gun on Ariel.

"The better question would be do YOU want to find out what I shall do to you if you do not lower them," Piper cut in.

"WE're the ones with the guns," the taller reminded her.

"Which means you do not possess magic," Piper smirked, knowing that if they had they would have picked using magic instead of using a simple gun, "But _I_ do."

Ariel winced, her hands flying to her ears as Piper let out a shrill whistle that reverberated around the room, nearly shattering a few of the nearer glass objects, cracking some of the windows. She was quite sure that, had she not been a mermaid and been around magic such as this her entire life, she would have been on the ground, like the two boys were, squirming and twitching and reacting quite terribly to the note that Piper was using. Piper didn't seem fazed by it at all as she merely walked forward and kicked the fallen guns that the boys had dropped away, changing the pitch of her note till their eyes rolled back into their heads, their backs arching off the floor…before she abruptly stopped, the two boys falling unconscious onto the ground.

"That was…" Ariel blinked, watching as Piper moved over to pick up the guns, seeming to be considering them a moment before she turned and moved to place them on the counter, just beside the box, "You're more Siren than just half," she was sure of it, she HAD to be, that was…powerful magic.

"Not really," Piper shook her head, moving over to grab two chairs and place them in the center of the room, "I was cursed by Regina, along with this town, sent to a realm without magic. But my magic fought against it, it was weak but still there. I practiced it, spent nearly 3 decades building it up so that, when magic returned, it would be stronger than before."

"Oh," Ariel nodded, actually quite impressed with that, "Wow."

Piper gave a pleased smirk, proud of herself, before she gestured to the two mean, "Care to help me?"

Ariel quickly scampered over to help her haul the men up, curious, when Piper decided to search for it a moment later, to learn about what a 'duck tape' was and if it was made out of actual ducks.

~8~

The first thing either boy noticed when they slowly came to was the fact that they had been tied and duct taped to a set of chairs. The second thing was that the blonde woman was sitting on the counter, the box in her hands, smirking at them…and immediately tried to get out of their bondings.

"I would not bother," Piper told them, "I made sure to make them perfectly tight," the boys glared at her, but they were far less threatening (if they were every threatening at all) without their guns, "Now," she hopped off the counter and walked to them, Ariel keeping back, behind the counter, watching Piper as she moved closer to them, "Would you care to tell me why you are here?"

The boys were silent.

"Well, shall I begin?" she gave them a dry look, "I assume you are working for Pan," she began, seeing that they didn't even flinch at the notion of working for Peter Pan, didn't deny it, "And you clearly came here because you knew that there was something here to be had," she eyed them a moment, "As for how you were able to enter the shop…I would think Pan ensured that magic would be no issue for you," she glanced down at the box in her hand, "You knew of the box as well…" she eyed them, "You had best start speaking or I shall MAKE you speak," her voice was no longer amused or dry but threatening.

The boys winced, as though they were recalling the torment they'd just been through, and the shorter, more chubby of the two boys spoke, "What did Rumpelstiltskin tell you about that thing?" he nodded at the box, "What is it? What does it do?"

"You did not even bother to ask what you were sent here for?" Piper scoffed, "Foolish."

"We don't care," the taller boy glared, "We just have to destroy it."

Piper eyed them a moment longer, before smirking dangerously, "Pan has no idea what this is, does he?" she guessed, "He wanted you to find out what Rummy's plan was and report back."

"Your 'Rummy' will fail," the shorter boy spat, "We'll find a way to keep that box from reaching Neverland."

"Will you?" she sounded amused now, "Pray tell how you shall even escape your bindings," she watched them struggle a moment more, "And even if you were able to, the protection spell HAS been enacted around Storybrooke, you would not be able to escape even if you did leave this shop alive," she smirked wider at how they both tensed at the implication that they would NOT be leaving the shop alive.

She tsked, "Have you ever considered that this box will be the key to stopping Pan?" she asked them.

"No one can stop Pan," the shorter boy murmured.

"Rummy can," Piper stated, utter faith and belief in her words, "With this," she held the box up, "Pan has taken someone important to the both of us, he will likely kill them if we do not bring him this box back. And that is not a fate I am about to chance."

"It's not a fate we can chance either," the taller argued.

Piper looked at him a moment, frowning now, tilting her head to the side, "Pan has someone you care for as well."

The boys glanced at each other before sighing, the taller nodding, "He does. He…he has our sister."

"Your sister?" Ariel called, slowly making her way closer, seeing that they were not in danger any longer.

"She's been Pan's prisoner for a long time."

"Over a century," the shorter boy nodded.

"His magic is keeping you alive, I take it," Piper guessed and they nodded.

"To do his bidding," the taller bowed his head, "And as long as we do, she lives. And then when we're done."

"He'll free her and us," the shorter agreed.

"If Pan were more honorable, I would believe that," Piper mused, "I know I am not quite the, um…poster child," she supplied, "For decency, I have a habit of taking those that others care for as leverage myself, however…I DO keep my promises. Pan never has and never will," she saw the boys look away, as though they knew that, as though the expected it but had hoped and were hoping differently, "Who is your sister and how does she know Pan?"

"We tried to beat him," the taller told her, "And we failed. It's how our sister, Wendy, ended up his prisoner in the first place."

"Wendy…" Piper frowned.

"Wendy Darling," the shorter boy nodded, starting to sniffle, "He's going to kill her now, because we failed."

"No," Piper shook her head, straightening more, "I am…familiar with that name," she eyed them, "John, Michael," they gaped at her, as though startled that she really WAS familiar with not just Wendy but them as well, "I had ample time to speak to Baelfire about how HE ended up on Neverland, he mentioned you, he mentioned his sacrifice to save Michael."

Bae, after the portal that Gold had failed to jump through, took him, he'd ended up in London, decades ago. He'd met the Darlings, met Wendy, and been taken in by their family. But Pan's shadow had come for Wendy, for Michael and John, and Baelfire had tried to fight it, to protect his new family. He'd given himself to the shadow if it swore to never come back and take Michael or any of the other children. It had taken him to Neverland, or tried to, but Bae had ended up on Hook's ship instead, and then ended up on Neverland more permanently.

"I promise you both, for your efforts and protection of Bae, that the Dark One and I shall not let harm come to your sister," she swore to them, knowing that Gold would want to help the girl who had essentially kept his son alive when he was younger, "You SHALL see Wendy again," she looked at Ariel, "We need to get back to Neverland. Now."

Ariel nodded and hurried for the door, Piper following her, when the taller boy, John, called out, "Oi! What about us!?"

"What about you?" she shook her head, putting a blank expression on her face.

"You're not just gonna leave us…" the shorter boy, Michael, frowned.

"You DID pull two guns on me," she reminded them, "Find your own way out. But, um, when you do…" she smirked again, "I would not touch anything here lest you should like to lose a hand."

She didn't doubt they would work out some way to free themselves, if a one handed pirate could, surely two young men could as well. After all, two heads were better than one.

~8~

Regina sat on a log, watching as Gold stood at the edge of the water, staring out at the sea as he had been doing ever since Piper had left with Ariel, the man hardly even moving.

"You really believe she can succeed?" she called.

"Yes, I do," Gold stated.

"Are you sure it's not your feelings blinding you? I find it hard to believe that you'd actually tell someone where you hide all your magical goodies."

"Or perhaps it's my feelings illuminating me," Gold countered, "Engendered the trust needed to share that information."

Regina frowned as she observed him, even though she couldn't see his face, she could tell it in his voice, "You really love her."

"Is that jealousy?" Gold asked.

She rolled her eyes, hearing the smirk in his words, "Of the Pied Piper? Hardly."

"No," Gold glanced back at her, "Of having someone."

Her response was cut off and his attention was directed to the water when a splash sounded, Piper half gagging, half choking, and (somehow) half coughing as well as Ariel helped her towards the shore.

"Pip!" Gold gasped, wading into the water to help her out, his eyes hardening as he saw a part of her pant leg had been torn, there were red, bloody scratches on them, "What happened?!" he demanded, snarling at Ariel who flinched back into the water the second that Piper was further out of it and more on land.

"We ran into a complication…"

"What complication?" he snapped.

"A…another mermaid," Piper gasped for breath, "Saw us near the island…"

"They tried to attack," Ariel frowned, feeling so terrible that the girl had been hurt on her watch, "I tried to swim faster but they managed to grab her leg…" she watched as Gold knelt down and gently ran his hand over her leg, healing it, "They'll have called reinforcements by now. I don't think I'll be able to do this again, to take her with me. I…" she glanced over her shoulder, "I wouldn't let her anywhere near the water," she warned them quietly, "They'll be grouping, condensing now, they'll be waiting to grab her."

Gold nodded, turning to Piper, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, and held up her hand, one he hadn't noticed was clutching something, to see the box in it, "I have a gift for you," she gave him a small cheeky smile.

He let out a breathy laugh, resting his forehead to hers as he took the box, "You always give me the best surprises."

She smiled, giving a gentle long breath and closing her eyes to rest a moment, just a moment. This entire trip has worn her out more than she wanted to admit. She hadn't slept since she'd fallen through the portal into this world. That was almost a week ago, 5 days more precisely. Oh she rested, she tried to sleep, she managed small naps where she wasn't quite sleeping, not enough to reach the burning room, but too driven to stay awake. Being asleep meant being vulnerable, meant falling prey to Pan and…the first few days she hadn't had Gold with her to help keep the room from burning her. But she knew she'd have to rest soon, take a long nap, gather her strength. Till then though, she had to just keep going.

"You fulfilled your end of the bargain," Regina looked at Ariel and waved her hand, Ariel looking at the bracelet she wore, "Now you can have legs whenever you want. Or a fin. Whatever Eric's into these days."

"Thank you," Ariel beamed at her.

"When you return to Storybrooke, seek him out. The rest is up to you."

Ariel gave Piper a small wave before she disappeared beneath the waves.

"Now," Regina turned to them, "We can go get Pan and save Henry."

"There is something else," Piper murmured, opening her eyes and standing with Gold's help, "Two men managed to make it into Storybrooke before the protection spell was cast," she told them, holding up a hand to stop Regina ranting about strangers, "They are benign now, they are the brothers of a girl named Wendy," she glanced at Gold, "Wendy and her family took care of Bae when he fell through the first portal," she told him, "She is in danger."

"All that matters is Henry," Regina shook her head.

"And I think a girl that helped save his father's life would matter to Henry," Piper looked at Regina, "Henry is every bit the hero he can be, he would want the girl saved along with himself," before she focused on Gold, "She saved your son. We should save her in return. And Bae IS on the island, if he learns that Wendy is here he would insist on it," she gave Gold a look, "Perhaps you can surprise HIM this time."

Gold had to nod at that, "And so we shall."

If this girl truly did help his boy and save him…he owed it to the girl to help her, and he always hated being in anyone's debt.

Well, anyone but Piper's, he rather loved how she had him repay his debts.

A/N: A little different from the actual episode, but I feel like Piper would know more about Gold's shop and, with magic, she'd be able to stop Michael and John easier than Belle would, she wouldn't have let it get to the point where it did in the actual episode :)

Some notes on reviews...

That's cool :) That's what I love about the show, there are ways to interpret who is/isn't true love and different people will see/not see true love in different couples. Like...Cinderella, you could assume they are true loves, but they never really had the whole TLK to prove it or not and, since True Love is meant to be rare (or that's how I interpreted it) it could be argued that Cinderella and her prince might not be true loves :) I didn't mean they were currently in an abusive relationship, I meant when Rumple first met her, how he sort of locked her away and when he freaked out over the kiss she gave him, how he buried her in the ground and was going to make her watch him kill Robin, it could be abusive in that sense that he didn't treat her right at the start ;) I'm not much a fan of Captain Swan, but it'll likely happen in this story, but SwanFire will happen in the Hook/OC ;)


	14. To Catch a Cold

A/N:**Really VERY Important Note!**

I sincerely and deeply apologize for the chapters lacking the last week :( I had a note on my tumblr that the stories should have been updated Monday of last week but the week was just terrible and the last few days were equally as hectic with a family health scare in the middle of it all (everything ended up being ok). I really am so sorry to say this also but I've had to rework the stories I'll be posting this year and the ones that will feature next year. I've been posting 2 stories just about every day for the last 8 months but I've been forced to realize that I overestimated what I can handle and it's actually hurting me more than helping me.

On that note...this story will be postponed in updating until September 15th. I am so, so, so, so, So, So, So, So, SO, SO, SO, SO, SOOOOOOOO sorry to do this, I really am, it devastates me so much but I've realized now what I can handle doing in 1 day and it's not 2 stories at a time :( I feel I can handle temporary 2-story updates, like when I revise my Doctor Who stories per-series after it airs, and like how I will do this series for Season 4 after it finishes airing on top of whatever I'm posting at the time. But at the moment, I truly don't feel confident or capable of doing 2 stories at once :'( I am going to try though, to sort of do a 'as one story ends another picks up' thing. For the future, I'll be focusing on my DW story, then finish this one, then continue on to LotR, then Doctor Who (TL5), and finishing the year with Star Wars. This means (and I'm devastated to do it) Big Bang Theory will be posted at the start of 2015. I actually think, in the long run, it'll be better for that to happen because there's about 150 chapters of that so far and that would mean days of posting it 2x a day or even 3x a day to finish in 2014 and that makes me feel like it'll be rushed...and it might actually be better in the long run as we'd go right into Season 8 instead of waiting months till it finished airing. I really am sorry to do it but it takes about 3-4 hours to really edit a chapter to a point where I'm happy with it before I post it the next day and that meant spending about 6-8 hours just editing a chapter for tomorrow. With the changes in schedule and interruptions, this really killed me in posting at the right times :'(

I have this entire story written out, all the 26 next chapters, but I'm really particular about editing and I truly don't have the time in 1 day to edit 2 stories for the next day :'( This story WILL resume on the 15th and it will finish around October 2nd. It WILL resume, I swear this on my fanfiction charm bracelet. I just can't, at the moment, with my changing work schedule, handle doing 2 stories at the same time :'( It will be less than 2 weeks, before we get this story back, all I can ask is that you hold on till then and please don't hate me :'( (cos I really do hate myself for doing this already).

~8~

To Catch a Cold

It started with a tickle, a tickle of the throat that came with a small clearing of the same after a round of giggling made by the Dark One himself. It was the way he'd fallen silent immediately after clearing his throat that had made Piper look over from where she was cleaning and sharpening the knives he had wished to be ready. She was sitting at the end of the long table in the main hall, her feet up on it, a small handful of knives resting on her lap, the polish and whetstone on either armrest as she cleaned them, the small noise of her work melding with the sound of the spinning wheel going. She had noticed that the Dark One was often in the same room as her, whenever she was cleaning or doing chores, for some reason he always found himself there along with her even when she knew he likely had other more important things to do.

At first she had thought it was because he didn't trust her, nor did he really have a reason to do so. She had already proven that her magic could affect him, for all he knew her humming was meant to put him to sleep so she could rob him blind or something like that. But she had been with him nearly a month so far and she had more than proven he could trust her. She did her duties, she cleaned and cooked and took care of the castle. She took the bloodstains out of his clothing, she tidied up his torture chambers and dungeons, she made sure that he was well stocked with straw. She swayed his clients when he needed her to, and they had formed a sort of trust, she liked to think. She doubted it was because he didn't trust her that he kept an eye on her.

In the first few days he had looked at her warily, as though he were trying to work out who she was, why she was there, what she really wanted, as though she wanted anything other than what their deal entailed. He watched her carefully, but slowly she had noticed that he didn't seem to mind her presence much. But it still didn't explain why he was always there. Even if she wasn't in the same room for a long period of time, at some point while she was there, he always, at the very least, walked past and peeked in at her. She wasn't unnerved by it, nor bothered, it was his castle, he could go where he wished. She also didn't feel concerned or take it to mean he didn't trust her, she didn't find annoyance in it if he looked in on her. He had, after all, made a deal to keep her safe from Regina, it wouldn't do well if she randomly left the castle and got caught.

She knew it was likely not the case but…she was starting to feel that, perhaps, he did this because he was starting to enjoy her company. Perhaps he just wanted to actually be around her. That would be first. Growing up it was usually only her parents and her cousin that could handle being around her for long periods of time. Even her aunt and uncle were the tiniest bit uneasy around her if with her for copious amounts of time, especially when she was older. It was like her cousin was the only one that could look past it, her parents (of course) because of what her mother was and what her father had to feel to look past how her mother acted to love her. But this was new to her, to have someone genuinely wish to be around her, to find her interesting.

The Dark One giggled quite a bit when she was around. Some of her comments, she knew, impressed him with how little his teasing and taunting bothered her. Their very first meeting in this castle he'd asked her to tend to the flesh of the children he skinned. Without batting an eyelash she'd accepted that as a potential chore and asked if he wanted them stretched for parchment or sewn into purses. He had laughed, he'd been impressed that something others found so revolting and despicable she was being so unconcerned by. She knew that she impressed him very much with how her mind worked and how she reacted to things. She walked in on him torturing people and offered suggestions of how to make it hurt more. She found men tied up and released them merely because the hunt was more thrilling than a stationary target.

He appreciated her, she saw it in how he acted, he appreciated her personality and how she was. That…hadn't happened before. With her parents, she was always trying to be one way or the other, around her cousin she tried to be warmer and more caring, more…human. But in doing it she ignored another half of herself. The Dark One was truly the first to actually accept her just as she was.

And she appreciated him just as much for that.

So it was reasonable that she frowned and narrowed her eyes when he merely cleared his throat again and went back to his spinning, though this time more quiet than before, more intently focused on the wheel.

But she waited a moment longer before she went back to her tasks as well.

~8~

A cough was next and Piper was almost impressed with how he was trying to conceal it. Well, perhaps not impressed, more…amused. She would be the first to say that she didn't know the Dark One well, she doubted anyone did, the man having been alive for nearly 3 centuries already. But she liked to think she learned more about him every day, yet one thing she was sure of…was that he always wanted to be the victor. He wanted to be the strongest, the most clever, the one that benefited from deals and he loathed to appear weak to anyone. Given how irritated he had been when she had released Robin Hood and how determined he was to make a statement out of the man, he didn't want anyone to think him soft or weak.

He was one of the most powerful dark, magical beings in the Enchanted Forest, perhaps even THE most powerful…

And he was sick.

He, the great and powerful Dark One…had a cold.

She truly would have laughed out loud when she realized that the tickle in his throat the day before had been the first stirrings of a cough, that the cough today, accompanied sometimes by a little sniffle he quickly tried to hide behind a handkerchief, were the signs of a cold. But she knew that the man wouldn't appreciate her laughing at something like that. She understood, she hated being ill as well, it often made others think you at your weakest and he didn't want anyone to ever see him like that. He was doing his absolute best to try and hide it from her for a reason, he was going to very extreme lengths to keep it hidden.

But it was also rather obvious that he was getting more ill as they day went on. When he would cough, he would try to cover it by making some other noise with his spinning wheel, or going to some of the treasures he considered to be junk and making a ruckus of destroying them. He'd get up and briskly walk out of the room, and sound as though he were hacking up a lung in the next room, but she could still hear him. He had enchanted a teapot to have an endless supply of tea and set it right beside him, had drank copious amounts of it throughout the day, had sent her to the village to get as much honey as she could carry as well.

She could hear him trying to breathe deeply and slowly when he tried to hide a sniffle. He would flip through books, making crinkling noises with the pages, tear out notes of some other journals and crumple them up all to hide his sniffles. She'd seen him turn away, pretending to be looking at something but pull his handkerchief out to run under his nose as it began to run.

And by the end of the day, he hadn't had an appetite to eat the meal he'd insisted she make him instead of a soup she'd tried to subtly suggest for him. She'd heard his wheezing breathing last through the night before he deemed it time to retire to his rooms…an hour before his normal time. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt that he was ill, and yet he was doing his best to hide it. She ended up sitting in the main hall for a short while longer after he'd gone to bed, finishing up the last of her chores before making her way into the kitchens to check on their supplies….

She had a feeling that, come morning, she would need a rather large quantity of juice and soup.

~8~

"You are very stubborn," Piper mused as she stood in the doorway of Rumpelstiltskin's personal chambers. The man hadn't come down for the first meal of the day, not that she thought he would as her prior guess that he truly was very ill was correct and she doubted he'd actually make it out of bed that day. He usually rose with the sun, something about his magic not needing him to sleep as much as others, and when he hadn't appeared for the meal that she hadn't actually prepared in anticipation of this reaction, she'd known.

So she had gotten together a small bit of toast and a goblet of juice that she'd squeezed out of oranges before she made her way up the stairs to his chambers. She'd been standing there for quite a while, not wanting to really enter without his permission, knowing what privacy meant to him. It was one thing to enter when he wasn't in the room, when she was tidying up, but with him actually in it was another thing. So she'd stood there, not really wanting to wake him either. He had been sleeping fitfully, from what she could see, his breath shallow and quick. She could tell just from the few sunrays peeking through the curtains and shining on his golden skin that it held even more of a sheen to it, it was sparkling even more, he was sweating in his sleep. His face was scrunched in pain that only an illness or nightmare could bring and his hair was starting to mat from it. But even so she could see him shaking, all the blankets on his bed pulled over him.

She hadn't dared speak till she heard him groan and saw him raise a hand to his forehead, waking, pulling his attention over to her.

"Yes, dearie, I suppose I am," he grumbled.

"It was not a question," she countered, stepping into the room, taking his speaking and not ordering her away as an invitation to enter, or at least as a hint that he might not chastise her for doing so, "I have brought you sustenance," she told him, setting down the plate with the toast on it and the goblet beside it.

"I'm not hungry," he muttered.

"That does not mean you should not eat," she reminded him, "I must fetch something," she told him, "When I return I shall expect to see you have eaten at least half the bread and drank most of the juice."

"I don't take orders from you dearie," he tried to glare at her, but the effect was rather lost when he winced and closed his eyes quickly, rolling on his side as though he were about to be ill.

"You shall today," she stated as she headed for the door.

But then it slammed magically closed before her, "I don't take orders from anyone," he hissed at her.

She merely turned around and made her way back to the bed, crouching down so she was more on eye level with him, "And you do not scare me Rumpelstiltskin," she spoke, her voice low with just a hint of a threat in it. She knew this was risky, very, very risky to speak to him so, but she also knew, from when her cousin was ill (and lord was she the most immature, childish, whining girl when she felt even the littlest bit queasy) that a firm tone was needed, to show them that you would not take no for an answer, that you were the one in charge of making sure they were well, "And, need I remind you, I have the power of song on my side."

He scoffed at that, bearing his teeth at her, "The power of music can't heal the sick Pied Piper."

She smirked, as though she were expecting such a remark, "No," she agreed, "But it can be so shrill that it keeps one awake no matter how tired they are," she tilted her head, her smirk turning dangerous, "And I will take great pleasure in forcing you to remain awake for the entirety of this illness, leaving you to agonize in your misery should you refuse to listen to me and do as you are told," she eyed him a moment, holding his gaze with hers, daring him to defy her, "Or, you can listen to me and I will ensure that you are able to sleep through most of it, that your dreams are not plagued by nightmares, and that it is truly a restive and restorative sleep," and, with that, she pushed herself up and turned to head towards the door once more, a silent, and quite truly partially stunned, Dark One watching her go.

"I never said we had a deal, dearie," he called as she opened the door.

She looked back at him, "I was not proposing one," she told him nonchalantly as she left.

Rumpelstiltskin stared at the door a moment longer, his expression growing more contemplative before a small smirk started to form on his face. He was sure, was quite certain, that he simply hadn't fought back, hadn't used his magic to force her to leave him be, because he was just tired at the moment. He was tired and ill and he didn't feel like wasting the energy on that infuriating woman that was ordering him about as though she were mistress of his castle.

It was that, yes, entirely that.

It had nothing at all to do with the notion that, perhaps, being cared for by someone was even slightly, in the most miniscule way…a little bit…comforting.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin awoke slowly, hearing a soft humming filling the room, a soothing voice making the noise. He almost allowed himself a smile at the sound of it all before he remembered himself and what had happened. He inwardly cursed himself, how had he fallen ill?! He had been alive more than 300 years and he could count on one hand the amount of times he'd fallen into sickness, three of them were before he'd become the Dark One. He didn't get ill often, hardly at all since he'd gotten his powers, but he did know that it was possible. It had happened once before but he'd been alone, had beheaded his caretaker at that time, a few weeks prior to his illness, for trying to sell out the secrets of the tunnels and other passages of his home to another. He'd been alone then and utterly miserable and wretched in his illness.

But this…he actually would have preferred he die than for this to have happened. Falling ill in front of another person was completely unacceptable. Falling ill and finding himself being taken care of by some woman he'd only known a few short weeks was even more so. It made him feel vulnerable, it made him feel weak, it made him feel embarrassed that Piper was seeing him like this, so…small instead of the true and powerful Dark One!

He let out a weak cough, his thoughts disturbed, and opened his eyes.

"You slept nearly 9 hours," Piper was there, right beside him, right at the edge of his bed, actually sitting ON his bed.

No one sat on his bed.

But there she was, sitting on his bed, without his permission and…he groaned, rubbing his temple, his head was pounding and his stomach was churning and he was quite sure that the room was spinning even though he was just lying there.

"I take it that was your doing?" he grumbled, though he had to admit he did feel a little more rested, a little more energized than he had when he had eaten the entire toast and most of the juice that morning.

"Indeed," she nodded.

He hissed, feeling something icy cold land on his head and opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) to see that Piper had a small bowl on the dresser beside the bed, a bowl upon it, with a white cloth soaking in it, another white cloth in her hand as she rested it on his head. A cold compress, likely due to his fever. A fever, he was sure, that would have taken a lesser man out. His magic did afford him to survive worse illnesses than most, but when he was sick, it was truly terrible.

"Your fever spiked and broke not 2 hours ago," she added, updating him on his status, "You feel cooler than you did then, however I am not willing to take chances, hence the compress."

His face scrunched a moment at that, hearing something else in her words than what she was physically saying, "You have been here 9 hours straight?"

"I have not left this room since I returned during breakfast," she hummed, dabbing at his forehead.

"You were here…all this time?" he stared at her now, openly stared at her.

He…hadn't been expecting that.

He was quite certain that a majority of people that were saddled with the task of taking care of him would have been more than happy to lock him in the room, go about their business, and pray that he succumbed to the disease and died. But here Piper was, actually…tending to him. She was actually there, taking care of him, watching over him. She said she hadn't left the room and…he believed her, he believed her when she said that she had been there the entire time. What point was there to lie?

She nodded, "I did leave for a moment or two, to fetch you soup," she nodded to behind the bowl of water, where he could vaguely smell the scent of chicken broth, "And a bit more toast. But other than that, yes…I have been here the whole time."

He opened his mouth to say something, though he wasn't quite sure what that something was, when he suddenly turned on his side, his head over the side of the bed and wretched into a small bucket on the floor at Piper's feet, the bucket that she had retrieved that morning as he ate the toast for just such an occasion. He didn't even register the feel of Piper's hand on his back nor that her other hand was holding his hair back from his face till he had finished emptying the contents of his stomach into the bucket. Well, it wasn't quite his stomach that had been emptied into the bucket.

His magic did let him fight off illness, burn through it quicker, but for the most part his magic acted like an extra line of defense in making him better faster. It would gather the illness in his body, collect it all up, and then…well, expel it, much like it just had. The substance in the bucket was near pitch black and smelled utterly rancid. He knew, had he not just thrown up, he would have again at the stench.

"One moment," Piper murmured, handing him a goblet of water as she gathered the bucket and quickly left the room as he sat back on his bed a bit more, trying to sit against the headboard long enough to sip some water before he felt his head starting to pound and ended up lying down once again just as she reentered, "It has been disposed of," she told him, taking her place beside the bed once more.

He tried to speak but cleared his throat instead, waiting a moment longer, truly unsure of just what he could say to that. He hadn't...no one had…he didn't…

"Rest," she told him, seeing him struggling to make sense of this, and, before he could even argue that he had something to say and not to tell him what to do, she began to hum the same lullaby he'd woken to, sending him back to the world of soothing dreams.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin was quite sure, somewhere in his mind, he was swearing revenge against Piper for doing this to him…for forcing him to remain in his bed for another day after he insisted he was perfectly fine and healthy again. She had merely given him an unaffected look when he threatened to magic himself out of the room and dared him to do so, stared him down, told him to go right ahead and do just that…

And he'd found himself still in his bed.

He told himself it was because, if he left, she would constantly be watching him and asking how he was and asking if he needed more rest and asking if he wanted soup and asking if he was dizzy or hungry or tired or a multitude of other things he knew she wouldn't actually do. He knew, if he left that bed, left that room when he threatened to, she wouldn't say a word about it, he was a grown man, he knew what he could handle, and if he wanted to leave then he could and she'd accept it. He KNEW she'd leave him be…

But he told himself she'd bother him so he stayed in the room instead. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she had been tending to him for the last two days, nonstop, a constant companion, actually…caring about him. It had nothing to do with that, at all, not a thing. He didn't think he'd miss spending time with her like that, or talking as they had the last few hours now that he was allowed to be conscious for most of it. He wouldn't miss it at all, he wouldn't miss being taken care of, he certainly would not. He wouldn't miss appearing that weak.

Not at all.

And yet…he was still in that bed, having just finished a small sandwich that Piper had made for him, with just a little meat and some chicken broth and tea.

He watched her now, as she gathered up the last of his meal, always his meal, he didn't think he'd actually seen HER eat anything since he fell ill but he was sure that she had eaten while he'd slept or after she left him for the night (she had to have, hadn't she?). But he couldn't help but gaze at her as she puttered around and put everything on the tray she was going to bring down to the kitchens to wash before she returned to him again. This was…new to him, to see someone take care of him like she had. And it was truly starting to bother him to think of that.

"Why did you stay?" he asked her and she paused in her work.

"I assume you mean, why I stayed and cared for you?" she resumed her collecting of the plates and bowls and utensils.

"Yes."

She let out a soft breath, "Well, if you died the deal would be off," she stated.

His lips pursed at that, a…small pain striking his heart at the thought that one of her reasons for caring for him was so that he could keep protecting her. He knew it was unfair and irrational to feel…pain…because she saw him as a tool for that, he knew he had used others far more and in worse ways, treated them like a means to an end instead of a human being, so…

"And I know how much you are loath to break your deals," she continued.

He blinked at that and stared even more. So…she hadn't been thinking of the deal in terms of herself? Well, he was sure it was a thought, it had to be, but there was something about how that wasn't her first reason to help him that spoke to him. She had been concerned about the deal breaking for HIM? She had wanted to keep him alive so that he could continue to make and keep deals, because she knew that was an important part of his life. Well of course she knew, they had made a deal when they'd first met.

"Is…that all?" he inquired.

She glanced at him, pausing again, "You are also my partner," she added, "I do believe we have only just started to work together, we have yet to see where our skills may take each other."

He nearly smiled at that, she…DID care. She did care about him. There was just…there was something more there, he knew it. She had brought up their deal, her protection, she had brought up their agreement to be partners, their magic, they were both logical things to care about him for. But…it was as though her actions didn't match her words. She had gone above and beyond what he would expect of someone who only cared about him for his protection and business. She had sat at his side for days, tending to him, feeding him, cooling him down, dealing with his sickness, and she hadn't strayed from his side either. She did more for him than a mere business partner or protectee would have done.

He didn't know why that thought made him feel…warm in his gut.

Perhaps he was still just a little ill, it was a good thing he'd decided to stay in bed a little longer.

"And it is my duty," she nodded to herself, "As your caretaker, to take care of the things in your castle, YOU are in your castle are you not?"

"Clever girl," he mused, eyeing her, that would have been one way to defend what she had done should he have gotten angry with her. He HAD taken her on to 'take care' of things, and she had certainly taken care of him.

"Might I ask a question of my own?" she inquired and he nodded, "Why did you not merely heal yourself with magic? Surely a man of your power and skill could easily make so simple an illness disappear."

He would have grinned at that, she was sharp to realize that. But the question…it was tricky and there were many answers, truths and lies and half-truths, but…she HAD taken care of him, so he supposed, just this once, she did deserve the truth from him, "I wished to see how far you would take your duty."

She blinked and gave him a nod, before she turned back to the tray, focusing on getting all the items together, her back to him as the smallest of smiles actually starting to make its way across her face. He'd wanted to see if she would take care of him. She was quite sure that, had his fever been less than it was, had the illness been easier on him and had he felt stronger than he made show of feeling, that he would not have told her that bit of truth but merely said some sort of excuse like he couldn't magic away an illness for some reason or another. She knew that all magic came with a price and, to stop an illness, would probably only end up being something like suppressing it for a time only for it to come back stronger and more deadly later, as compensation for the 'healthy' time. She…appreciated that he had told her that. She was sure he likely couldn't magic away the illness, but the fact that he had allowed her to be in his room and to care for him when he clearly possessed the strength of magic to kick her out and forbid her entrance spoke volumes.

She schooled her expression, lessened her smile to a smaller one and turned, the tray in her hands, "I am glad you are well once more."

He nodded, reaching out quickly as she turned to go, his hand wrapped around her elbow for a moment, the two of them just looking at each other a long moment.

She gave him a small nod, the smile growing on her face again as she read something in his eyes, something he didn't want to say out loud.

'Thank you.'

He slowly let go of her arm, allowing her to turn and go to the door, watching her go intently…a small smirk starting to grow on his face when, just before the door closed with her on the other side, he heard her give a small cough, the same cough he had had.

It seemed like he would be able to repay this favor sooner rather than later.

He did hate being indebted to others.

A/N: (bit of spoilers for the Season 3 finale to come) I put in my own little thoughts about the illness there. I have many theories for OUAT, especially after implications in the finale. One of my theories for Marian involves the illness that Robin used magic to save her from. One theory could be as in this chapter, what if he only bought her time and the illness comes back stronger and more deadly later on? :( I think it's semi-obvious by a 9k word post (practically an essay) that I wrote on tumblr about all the many (MANY) plot holes surrounding Maid Marian that I do not believe Regina actually killed her. This was just one of many possible (and, to me, more realistic than Regina actually having killed her) theories :) (end of spoilers)

As for this chapter...I hope you liked a little bit of Piper taking care of Rumpelstiltskin here :) I wanted something sort of sweet to try and make up for the delay and sort of show a little bit of an awkward/hopeful start for their relationship :)

Again, I am SO sorry to postpone this story, but it WILL be back and it WILL be finished. I just wanted to apologize again about it :'( I'll be putting a tiny surprise on tumblr very soon to try and make up for it (though it's probably a very small, miniscule, not-compensating enough)

Some notes on reviews...

Hmm...I'm not sure what their secrets would be either, I feel like they sort of already know each other's secrets so it would probably end up being secrets they kept from others instead of each other and there are plenty ;) I feel like that would be awkward for Emma, definitely, even more so that her baby brother is named after her dead ex-boyfriend/father of her child. I actually was hoping that Snow would name the baby 'Daniel' as a true way to put the past behind her and Regina :) And it always struck me as more princely than Neal (though I do like the name Neal). There's no actual incest true, (thank god)...but it could be stretched though because Hook was Emma's boyfriend's mother's lover...so sort of like Emma's boyfriend's stepfather. Or, looking at it from Henry's POV, Hook, who was his step-grandfather, is now dating his mother...it's weird lol :)

I can say Captain Swan will be minimized due to Piper's dislike of Hook even if she might come to slightly be easier on him ;) I'm not 100 percent a fan of Captain Swan, so my Hook/OC will be the next OUAT story to come :) I think Piper would definitely have a trick up her sleeve for getting Gold back...but what she has planned and what others have planned (or what others do in reaction to her plan) might not be the same thing }:)

I can say that, since this story focuses mostly on Piper/Gold, we'll only see the Outlaw Queen that others do, perhaps a tiny bit more (let's just say...some specific soul-songs 'harmonize' when Piper hears them ;)) but, my next OUAT story (the Hook/OC) will heavily feature Outlaw Queen along with Hook's relationship too ;)

That's cool with me ;) Agree to disagree for me too ;)


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